Fabens retires jersey of former star guard Gloria Estrada

Gloria Estrada’s list of accolades already seemed endless, but it got a little longer Tuesday night after Fabens High School retired her jersey.

Estrada, who wore the number ten jersey when she played guard at Fabens, averaged 38 points per game during her high school career.

Her jersey now hangs in the rafters of the Wildcats’ gym after the school held a special ceremony in her honor at halftime of the girls basketball game Tuesday.

“I think it’s like a culmination of all the awards I’ve gotten,” she said. “And I believe this is probably the top of it.”

Estrada later went on to become a member of UTEP’s first-ever women’s basketball team in 1974.

Her list of accomplishments is among the most impressive in the history of athletics in the Borderland.

Here are just a few:

– Named one of the six greatest high school girls basketball players ever in El Paso in 1998
– Inducted into the UTEP Hall of Fame 2013
– Inducted into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014
– Named to UTEP’s All-Centennial Team in 2014

In addition to her achievements as a basketball player, Estrada eventually went on to be a highly successful girls volleyball coach at Fabens, leading the Wildcats to a pair of Final Four appearances in the UIL state playoffs.

While she has certainly accomplished a lot, she says she is perhaps more excited about how far women’s athletics have come in recent decades than her personal achievements.

“There’s a lot of respect now for women’s sports, and it’s come a long way,” said Estrada. “For me, it’s not really about the honor. It’s more about just thanking the people that got me here.”