LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Members of the Bellarmine University women's basketball team frequently pick the brain of assistant coach Monique Reid about the keys that went into building her esteemed career.

Not that they needed any more reason to approach Reid, but when they do, the advice will now come from a Hall of Famer.

Cementing her legacy as an all-time great at the University of Louisville, U of L announced that Reid will be among its eight-member 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The former star forward will be inducted Oct. 27 at a ceremony in the Angel's Envy Bourbon Club.

"I was really excited and super happy," Reid said of the distinguished honor. "It's such a big accomplishment. Not everybody can play for Louisville, and a lot who do won't be in the Hall of Fame. To be among the elite is something I'm super proud of."

Reid's prolific and highly successful tenure at Louisville spanned 2008-13. She remains ranked in the program's all-time top 10 in career points (1,725), rebounds (802), field goals made (643) and free throws made (430). The Louisville native was a first-team All-Big East selection as a sophomore and junior while also being recognized as the Big East Most Improved Player of the Year in the former year.

Reid helped lead Louisville to the Final Four and national runner-up finishes as a freshman in 2009 and as a redshirt senior in 2013. In between, the 6-foot-1 small forward delivered the two All-Big East campaigns but followed with a devastating knee injury early in her senior season. She rehabbed and regrouped to cap her career with a second run to the Final Four.

"I always used to say it was poetic justice when I was younger. Everything that happened was so good, then it fell, then it went straight back up," Reid said. "It was a testament to how strong I am as a person — and, honestly, I didn't know how strong I was until I got to college. A lot of these life lessons we learn about toughness — about mental toughness, being physically tough — actually have really helped me in life. I feel like my time there was well spent."

Despite enduring an injury that sidelined her for the vast majority of one season and limited her the next, Reid considers those last two years at Louisville invaluable. She saw her role change. Reid averaged 18.4 points and 9.2 rebounds as a sophomore and 15.5 and 6.1 as a junior, but as a redshirt senior, Coach Jeff Walz and Reid had to be careful not to push the envelope too far. That led to a modest 18.3 minutes per game, but also maximum efficiency, as Reid still churned out 9.2 points per outing.

"It was definitely a different role for me," she said. "I'm the type that wanted to be the best player at all times. I've always been super competitive. Coming off the bench was eye opening because I knew it was for a reason and a good purpose. I was only able to do so much, and I understood my injury. If (Coach Walz) was to play me 40 minutes, I probably wouldn't have made it 10 games. I accepted my role, and my leadership, and I think it helped my basketball IQ because I got to see the game from a different perspective. I think that's also helped me with coaching."

With standout veterans such as Angel McCoughtry and Candyce Bingham — a former Knights assistant — on the 2008-09 squad, Reid knew that she could make significant contributions through defense and rebounding as a freshman, even guarding perennial All-American Courtney Paris in the Cardinals' 61-59 win over Oklahoma that sent them to their first national championship game. Reid then added primary scorer duties the next two seasons. After the injury, she morphed into an instant-offense super sub and sank the tying and go-ahead free throws with 2.6 seconds left in Louisville's epic 82-81 upset of Baylor and Brittney Griner in the 2013 Sweet Sixteen.

Reid was proud to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. She was a first-team All-State selection at Fern Creek High prior to Louisville and had an MVP- and championship-laden professional career overseas post-Cardinals. In between, she wore many hats over her college career and made sure each fit comfortably.

"I think that helped me in the future, especially with leadership," Reid said, "because I learned early that I could accept my role and take a step back if I needed to, but I was going fulfill my role on the court in whatever way the team needed me to."

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