Rebecca Lobo rose to national fame as one of the standout stars of women’s basketball in the 1990s. Raised in Southwick, Massachusetts, she made headlines in high school by setting a state scoring record with 2,740 points. Her success continued at the University of Connecticut, where she led the Huskies to a perfect 35–0 season and a national championship in 1995.
She later became one of the original players in the WNBA, playing professionally from 1997 to 2003. Though injuries limited parts of her career, Lobo remained a respected figure in the sport. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and in 2017, she joined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside other greats like Tracy McGrady and Muffet McGraw.
While her professional achievements are well-known, her personal life has often stayed out of the spotlight. In the next section, we’ll shift our focus to Rebecca’s husband, Steve, and explore their married life together.
Rebecca Lobo Has Been Married to Steve Rushin Since 2003
Rebecca met her future husband, Steve Rushin, in the most Rebecca Lobo way possible—by calling him out. It was the late ’90s, and she was playing for the New York Liberty while subletting an apartment from a sportswriter named John Walters.
One night, Walters invited her out for drinks and mentioned that a couple of colleagues from Sports Illustrated would be joining them. Among them was Steve, already known for his sharp wit and clever columns.
But Lobo hadn’t forgotten a recent piece he’d written, poking fun at WNBA attendance with a quip comparing it to sleeping through a Liberty game. As soon as she met him, she asked if he was the one who’d written the joke. When he admitted it, a little red-faced, she challenged him directly: How many games had he actually attended? When he said none, she told him to come see for himself—and later that summer, he did.
That spark eventually led to dinner, a courtship, and a wedding just as memorable as their first exchange. The couple tied the knot on April 12, 2003, with a traditional Catholic mass followed by a reception that Rushin jokingly dubbed “My Big Fat Sports Wedding” in his column.
The setting? The Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, just 30 minutes from Lobo’s hometown. Though the reception took place on the museum’s full-size court, it wasn’t basketball-themed. Instead, the space was elegantly transformed with ambient lighting, classic décor, and floral arrangements. Guests dined and danced beneath a jumbotron, while photos of Rebecca and Steve from childhood to college were displayed in a custom video montage, followed by images from earlier that day.
Among the 250+ guests were Lobo’s college teammates Jennifer Rizzotti and Kara Wolters, and her UConn coaches Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey. The band Legit played “Sparks” for their first dance, and her gown—the 13th or 14th she tried—was, in her words, the one that finally made her “feel like a bride.”
Know Rebecca’s Husband A Little More
Steve Rushin grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, the third of five children in a sports-loving family. His father, Don, had played football at the University of Tennessee, and his older brother, Jim, skated for Providence in the 1983 Frozen Four. As a teenager, Steve worked the stands at Metropolitan Stadium, selling hot dogs and soda to fans of the Twins and Vikings—experiences that quietly shaped his fascination with sports culture.
He graduated from John F. Kennedy Senior High School before attending Marquette University in Milwaukee. A story in Sports Illustrated inspired him to contact writer Alexander Wolff, which eventually led to his own bylines at the magazine. Just two weeks after graduating, he joined SI and quickly rose through the ranks. By 25, he was the youngest Senior Writer on staff.
Over the years, he reported from places as varied as Java, Greenland, and the India-Pakistan border, covering everything from the World Cup to Wimbledon. He’s also written several books and essays with a mix of humor, nostalgia, and deep sports knowledge.
They Are Proud Parents to Four Kids
Rebecca Lobo and Steve Rushin are parents to four children: Siobhan, Maeve, Thomas, and Rose. Each child brings their own personality to the family, shaped by the unique blend of sports and storytelling that defines the Lobo-Rushin household.
Their first child, Siobhan Rose, was born on Christmas Day in 2004. She’s currently attending Fordham University, majoring in Communication and Culture with a focus on Media Studies, and minoring in English. She’s also building experience at WFUV Public Radio—an early sign that she may be following in her father’s media footsteps.
Maeve Elizabeth, born in August 2006, has carved out her own path in basketball. A recent graduate of Northwest Catholic High School, she stood out as a talented player. Rebecca has shared how nerve-racking it can be to watch her daughter compete, admitting it’s much harder from the sidelines than it ever was on the court.
Their son, Thomas Joseph, arrived in October 2008, followed by their youngest, Rose, in October 2010. Both enjoy a quieter upbringing away from the spotlight. The family lives in Connecticut, where values like equality and passion for both sports and education are part of everyday life.
