‘Where Are They Now?”

“I vividly recall my high school days in the 1980s, poring over articles about a remarkable basketball talent from Bayonne High School in New Jersey. Initially, I couldn’t help but wonder if the hype surrounding her skills was exaggerated. However, during the summer of 1983, while competing in a summer league game in Jersey City, New Jersey, my skepticism was swiftly dispelled.

Before our game, I observed the girls take the court, and that’s when I witnessed firsthand the sheer brilliance I had read and heard about. While New Jersey has seen its fair share of exceptional female basketball players, few could rival the prowess of Adrienne Goodson.

In an era where Hudson County, New Jersey, was renowned for its boys’ basketball talent, Adrienne’s arrival at Bayonne High School in 1980 marked a significant shift in the landscape of girls’ basketball in the state.

Raised on the gritty streets of Bayonne, New Jersey, Adrienne honed her skills with determination and grit, transcending gender barriers. Not only did she excel on the hardwood from a young age, but her talent even earned her a spot on the boys’ Pop Warner team.

As a Consensus Girls High School All-American, she had the distinct honor of being named to the Hudson County All-Boys Team during her senior season. Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with this trailblazing figure, now a revered legend in both New Jersey and the WNBA, to delve into her illustrious career and learn about her current endeavors.”

Where were you born and raised?

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey raised in Bayonne, New Jersey

Talk about some of your influences growing up in Bayonne, NJ.

Most of my influences came from family members who were active in sports and the community. Grandmother Margaret Lee Goodson Mother Margo Goodson Feuker Uncles Skip and Butch Goodson my uncle Skip for basketball Aunt Roz Cousins Terence Jenkins and Vinny Gayle (1st scholarship athletes in the family) Coaches Bill Defazio (St. Anthony’s) and Karen Fuccella (Bellville HS (AAU) 

When and where did the love for sports begin?

In 1977, I was old enough to play in the P.A.L. My Uncle Skip would meet me every day at the basketball courts on 20th street and practice. He worked the graveyard shift and would meet me in the morning to get it in. He put it in me, being a great athlete himself.

Was there one sport more than the others you gravitated towards growing up?

I loved to swim and dreamed of being a part of the local swimming club called the Mermaids. I also played softball, volleyball, and believe it or not badminton. I made the pop warner football team called the Packers, but my mom wasn’t having it.

You attended Bayonne High School in the 1980’s talk about your experience and its impact.

Unbelievably competitive during that era. Hudson County basketball was at an all-time high for girls and boys. Teams like St. Anthony’s St, Peter’s Prep, Hudson Catholic, Lincoln, Snyder, Ferris, Dickenson, Marist, Holy Family, Paramus Catholic, and North Bergen not to mention the State. I remember those who paved the way Elaine Carol, (possibly the first unrecorded 2,000-point scorer in Bayonne) Sharon Ross, Sapphire Ladson, Dianne Ashe, Liz Conahan, and the list goes on. I finished up with many accolades and records, however the best was being recognized by the FAA on the Boys All Hudson County team.

You played collegiately at Old Dominion University, considered one of the premiere programs at that time. Why did you decide on ODU and where their other schools recruiting you?

I already knew I was going to ODU when I watched Inge Nissen, Anne Donovan, Nancy Lieberman, and Angela Cotman win the 1980 AIAW Championship versus Tennessee on TV. I was heavily recruited but my Top schools were USC Trojans, Iowa, Georgia, Notre Dame, ODU, Virginia, and Long Beach State.

You were a 3rd round draft pick (27th Overall) in the 1999 WNBA inaugural draft, discuss your feelings about being drafted and the formation league.

We didn’t have all the bells and whistles of today, it was a phone call. At that time in my career, looking at my performance in the ABL compared to others is why I went so low in the draft. My salary went from 120k to 27k in a millisecond. Hopefully, million-dollar salaries become the norm.

You have seen and been a part of many decades of collegiate athletics and professional sports, which decade was the most impactful to you and why?

Of course, mine (1996-2005) because we set the tone in the CBA for them to reach new heights hopefully, they will reach back and take off those who paved the way as they do for the men.

What was your most memorable moment as a Collegiate and Professional Athlete?

College NCAA Championship (1984) Player of the Year (1988) Professionally 3 x All-Star (2 ABL and WNBA) 2x WNBA Community Assist Award 

Many people may not know you played overseas in the women’s professional league before the WNBA, talk about those experiences. 

I played for seven years in Brazil and won five National Championships also played in Barcelona Spain and Ghuang Zhou China. My greatest experience was realizing that my love for the game could take me anywhere but most of all having the strength and courage to do what many would never experience in this life and that’s getting to wake up every day and do what I love.

You have transitioned from being a professional athlete, what are you doing now?

I’m a podcaster, I train and do basketball camps throughout the region, travel, and spend quality time with family.