From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)

Born in Kansas, Donna L. Murphy grew up in Newport, KY. She was the 1974 Class 2A state high jump champion and played forward for the Newport High School women's basketball team. In her first Girls Sweet Sixteen Tournament, in 1975, she scored 42 points and had 25 rebounds in the first game. In 1976, the 5'10" forward was the first to be named Miss Kentucky Basketball. She was one of two high school students invited to tryout for the 1976 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team.

Murphy played college ball at Morehead State University (KY) from 1977-1980, scoring 2,059 points and collecting 1,439 rebounds. She was the first woman to have her jersey retired at Morehead State University. In 1995 she was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame; in 1999 she was the first woman to have her jersey retired at Morehead State University.

Murphy played professional ball with the St. Louis Streak later coached as an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, University of Florida, University of Memphis, University of Cincinnati, Morehead State University and Asbury University. At Asbury, she started the women’s basketball program and was there for 11 years. She has also coached at the high school, middle school, and AAU Exposure Elite and PROam levels. She was also the women's basketball coach at Lexington Christian Academy (KY), 2004-2006. She has been a professor and Director of Diversity Outreach and Intramural Sports at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. In her spare time, she is a basketball skills trainer plus coaches middle school girls’ basketball for Fayette County Public Schools. The Donna L.J. Murphy Award, beginning in 2014, is given to the female high school basketball player "who not only has success on the court but in the classroom and has exceptional character."

As a student-athlete at Morehead State University Murphy graduated magna cum laude twice and holds a BA, Communications/Journalism, and a MHE, Counseling credentials. She is a retired KCTCS professor/counselor, and works part-time with the University of Kentucky’s College of Education.

For more see 2003 NCAA Women's Basketball Records Book; and M. Story, "Forward Helped Girls' Basketball Return with Bang," Lexington Herald-Leader, 7/25/1999, Special section, p. 13; and the Donna Murphy Award at the Ms. and Mr. Kentucky Basketball website.