BRIGITTE ALDOUS '90 - 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

By the mid-1980s, Clarkson University Women’s Basketball coach Brian Chafin had turned around the Golden Knights’ fledgling program, one that did not finish over .500 until its 10th season in 1984-85. In the fall of 1986, the Green and Gold enjoyed an unparalleled influx of talent, which included a prized local recruit of Chafin’s, Hermon, NY native Brigitte Aldous.




At 5-11, Aldous beautifully meshed a rare talent of ball handling with her preternatural athleticism and size into a match up nightmare for opponents at the collegiate level. And unlike her career at a small high school, she didn’t have to carry the offensive load, allowing her passing abilities to shine through with a talented group of teammates surrounding her. 

Joined by several other standouts, including fellow Clarkson Athletic Hall of Fame members Beth Bacon and Melissa Smith (both selected in 2004), Aldous led the Golden Knights to new heights during the late-1980s, capped by a run to the NCAA Final Four in 1989. 

Aldous showed plenty of promise during her first season, averaging 7.3 points per game, but it wasn’t until the 1987-88 season that she and the rest of the Knights truly established themselves as a power in the region. Clarkson produced its first 20-win season in 1988, helped considerably by the emergence of Aldous, as the sophomore averaged 11.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Her most significant production came during a mid-season tournament game against Castleton State when she contributed 30 points and 16 rebounds, the former figure being the first 30-point game in program history. In fact, Aldous held the distinction as the only Clarkson player to score 30 points in a game until February 2001, a stretch of 537 games.

An ICAC Second-Team selection her junior year, Aldous gained notice during Clarkson’s impressive stretch in the NCAA Tournament. The Knights won double-digit decisions over St. John Fisher, New York University and Clark University, and Aldous’s performance was rewarded when she was picked as an NCAA East Regional All-Star.

With the backcourt graduated after the 1989 season, Clarkson relied upon its frontcourt presence more during the 89-90 campaign, and Aldous thrived in her role as scorer and distributor to the post, averaging 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, earning ICAC honors for a second time. More significantly, she earned special mention status by the American Women’s Sports Federation when the group was considering its All-American choices. 

Late in the 1989-90 season, Aldous became just the second member of Clarkson’s 1000-point club, and she still ranks fifth all-time in that category with 1139 points. Similarly, she became Clarkson’s second player to 600 rebounds and is still 10th on that list. Her 363 assists are fourth for the program and her 487 field goals made are the fifth most for Clarkson. She also finished her career with a 47.4% field goal percentage, one of the top rates ever for the Golden Knights.



Brigitte Aldous-Annenos with Clarkson President Tony Collins and Athletic Director Steve Yianoukos