2007 , N.C. State christened the court in Raleigh 's Reynolds Coliseum in her name . Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 , Yow had been active in efforts to raise awareness and money to battle the disease , which forced her to miss two games during the 2004-05 season and another 16 in the 2006-07 season , the university said . She helped establish the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund , which raised money for the cause . About three weeks ago , Yow announced that she was stepping away from coaching duties for the remainder of the 2008-09 season , after missing four straight games because of an extremely low energy level . `` Stepping away from coaching is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make , '' Yow said January 6 , according to N.C. State . `` Even though I do n't feel well enough to coach , I 'm hopeful to feel well enough to attend some ACC games and show my support for the team as well as N.C. State University , '' she added . Yow was born in 1942 in Gibsonville , North Carolina , about 16 miles
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Carolina State University women 's basketball coach Kay Yow , who won more than 700 games in nearly four decades of coaching , died Saturday after a long struggle with breast cancer , the university said . North Carolina State University 's Kay Yow , in 1996 , was one of only six coaches to amass 700 wins . She was 66 . Yow , who was in her 38th season as a coach , had amassed numerous awards , including inductions into the Women 's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame . In her 34 years on the sidelines for the Wolfpack , her teams won four Atlantic Coast Conference titles , averaged 20 wins a season , appeared in 20 of 27 NCAA tournaments and reached the Final Four in 1998 . She was one of only six coaches in the women 's game to win at least 700 games , the university said . She also coached the 1988 women 's Olympic basketball team to a gold medal in Seoul , South Korea . Yow was beloved by her players , colleagues and fans , and in