Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Back in Bernhardt’s day, the Villanova athletics department circulated a clever promotion, detailing Bernhardt as most wanted for the crime of “stealing games from opponents.’’  She was that good. A 2,000-point scorer in her career, Bernhardt served as nothing less than a foundational pillar as Harry Perretta began constructing his program. 

With her deft ballhandling and eye for scoring, Bernhardt in the early ‘80s turned Villanova from a regional program into one with a more sizable national footprint. Her 50 percent shooting and 16.5 points per game as a sophomore helped engineer the Wildcats run to the AIAW Final Four, and a senior she earned regional All-American status. More than 40 years after her graduation, Bernhardt’s name is still littered across the record books, where she is top five in scoring (2.018 points), free-throw percentage (.794), assists (3.9), steals (294) and games started (119). In 2000, Villanova raised Bernhardt’s jersey to the rafters.

A beloved high school teacher for more than 25 years, Bernhardt lost her battle with breast cancer in 2016.