July 11, 2005

By Aaron Juarez
SCU Athletic Media Relations

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Melissa (King) Fisher '93, perhaps the greatest women's basketball player in Santa Clara history, still has the competitive fire and determination which propelled Santa Clara to three straight WCC titles ('91-'93), the 1991 WNIT title, and led her to hold or share 14 individual records in the Bronco annals.

"I had no idea I held that many records!" King laughed when told of her place in the record book. "Records were made to be broken, so yes, I am very surprised to hear that."

In only three years at SCU following her transfer from Fresno State, King was twice named WCC Player of the Year, earned All-WCC honors in each of her three seasons and was voted an honorable mention All-America as a senior.

These days though, instead of running the floor and leading her teammates, King, with husband Joe Fisher, is handling the demanding task of running the home and raising three kids, with a fourth on the way. Following graduation, King served assistant-coaching stints at both Cal and Santa Clara before trading in her whistle to work in web design for Franklin Templeton Investments and begin a family.

"I've always wanted a family," King said about her decision to leave coaching. "The lifestyle of coaches is so hectic, it is a 24-7 type of deal. I wanted to be able to have the time to raise a family."

King worked at Franklin Templeton for nearly four-and-a-half years before leaving to raise her family full-time in 2001. Yet whether her job is to draw up a play, create a new look to the company's website, or hustle her six-year-old daughter to school while taking care of her younger son and daughter, King-Fisher has continued to utilize all facets of her experiences at Santa Clara.

"Athletics trains you in discipline and to have a strong work ethic," King said. "Especially important is the focus on teamwork, which is huge when it comes to having a goal and working hard towards that goal no matter what it is."