When Rebecca Greenwell Wathen first picked up a basketball on her family driveway as a little girl – shooting around with her older sister – she could never fathom where the sport would take her. By 2013, she was graduating from Owensboro Catholic after leading the program to two All A State titles and enrolling at Duke, where she would set the program’s record for three pointers made.
13 years later, and the endless nights training on and off the court, and countless surgeries have paid off. Earlier this week, it was announced that Wathen will be inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class – scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 7:30 P.M. EST in the Lexington Opera House.
She will be enshrined alongside Allen Feldhaus, Sr., Allen Feldhaus, Jr., Chrysti Noble, Pat Doyle, Anthony Epps, Makayla Epps, Tony Kimbro, Noel “Tick” Rogers, Herbie Stamper, Bob Tallent, and Fred Tisdale.
“I am really excited,” Wathen said. “Obviously, it is always a goal for any basketball player is to be named in the Hall of Fame one day. I was really surprised, excited, and honored when I got the call. It will be a really nice bow to put on a fun basketball career.”
Wathen’s earliest basketball memories date back to playing with her older sister on the driveway and then competing in the Owensboro Upwards League. When she was 10, she forayed into the world of travel basketball, acknowledging that was when her career really took off.
A then rising star, the sharpshooter put the state of Kentucky on full notice when she arrived at Owensboro Catholic High School in the fall of 2009.
“I would say my time at Owensboro Catholic was probably the most fun in my basketball career,” Wathen said. “When you get to college, it’s really a different beast with the pressure they put on you and the stakes being much higher. I remember that in high school was when I could play freely and loose, and I have great memories of playing in front of my friends and family.”
During her four years with the Lady Aces, she led the program to two 3rd Region titles and two All A State titles, but her crowning moment was a regular season game against Trinity (Whitesville).
Wathen was unconscious from deep, sinking 17 three pointers, a then girls high school basketball national record.
“I’ll never forget setting the national record for most threes in a game,” Wathen said. “I think I shot 17-of-24, and I just remember being super hot that game. I really couldn’t miss. That is always a great feeling as a basketball player, but that is a game I will never forget.”
Arriving at Duke in the fall of 2013, she spent five seasons with the Blue Devils, reaching the NCAA Tournament in four of the five years, including two Sweet 16 appearances. To this day, she is still the program’s all-time three-point leader with 301.
“Obviously, being from Kentucky and committing to Duke was a bold decision in high school,” Wathen said. “…Looking back, it was definitely the greatest decision I ever could have made. I absolutely loved my time at Duke, both on the court and off the court.”
In 2018, Wathen was drafted to the Washington Mystics, but never ended up suiting up for them due to injuries. Over her career, she underwent eight total surgeries, seven for her knee and one for her back.
“It was a huge honor,” Wathen said. “I was watching the draft on TV in the hospital, and I just woke up from surgery. So to see my name being announced on TV was an amazing feeling just to know all my hard work had paid off. That being said, on the opposite end, it was extremely challenging and frustrating to be so close and not actually get out there and play because of all the injuries I went through.”
After her time at Duke, she had a few different internships in the sports world, including one with the Atlanta Hawks. Currently, she is in her fifth year with META, on the sports partnership team. Working primarily with college basketball athletes, she helps them improve and grow their social media brands across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
Wathen might not have the desire to play basketball at a high level anymore, but she still misses the sport – watching games on TV when she can. Yet, she acknowledged that she is much happier in the current stage of her life – being married to Ben Wathen – with whom she has two young sons – George and James. George is currently following in his mom’s athletic footsteps, starting youth soccer where she will be his coach.
“This honor really is the icing on the cake of a great career,” Wathen said. “I’m really thankful for all the people along the way who helped me get to this point. I’m also really thankful for Owensboro in general. Owensboro is a really supportive community, and to come from a small town like Owensboro and have the community behind me every step of the way really means a lot.”
