Bernice Orwig O'Connor (2009) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Bernice Orwig O'Connor

Induction:
2009
Class:
1999

Bernice Orwig O’Connor, who led the USC women’s water polo team to its first-ever national championship in 1999, is perhaps the greatest goalie in Women of Troy history. She was the program’s first winner of the Peter J. Cutino Award (the Heisman Trophy of water polo), winning it in 1999 when she was also honored as National Player of the Year. A 3-time (1997-99) USC MVP and 2-time (1997 and 1999) Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year, she was named the MVP at the 1999 national collegiate tournament. After USC, she was a member of the 2000 USA Olympic team that won a silver medal in Sydney. She then became an assistant coach, serving at USC, California, Michigan, Golden West College and with the USA women’s Olympic team that won silver in Beijing in 2008. She is a member of the California Community College Athletic Association Hall of Fame and Cypress College Athletic Hall of Fame (she played on the Cypress men’s team).