BALTIMORE — Loyola University Maryland Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Jen Adams has been named to the inaugural Lacrosse Australia Hall of Fame class, the organization announced this week.
Adams, originally from Brighton, Australia, is one of 21 women and men selected for the association's inaugural induction class.
She is already a member of several halls of fame, including the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the Chesapeake Chapter of USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the University of Maryland Athletics' Hall of Fame and the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame.
"Jen Adams is quite simply one of the best players, coaches and ambassadors for the sport of women's lacrosse in the world," said Loyola Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Donna M. Woodruff. "The way the game is played and coached today is in no small part because of the impact that Jen has had on the sport and the athletes who play it."
"Those of us who are fortunate to watch her continue that impact every day here at Loyola know that Jen is completely deserving of receiving this honor from her home country."
During her playing career, Adams was widely regarded as the finest female lacrosse player of her era. A four-time national champion at the University of Maryland from 1998 to 2001, she set every major scoring record for the Terrapins, finishing her career with 267 goals, 178 assists and 445 points. Her career points rank fourth all-time nationally, while she remains first in assists and second in goals in Maryland program history.
A three-time national player of the year, Adams was also the first ever recipient of the Tewaaraton Trophy in 2001, awarded annually to the top player in NCAA college lacrosse.
On the international stage, Adams began her career with the Australian National Team, leading the U-19 squad to a World Championship in 1995. She later captained the senior team to a 14–7 victory over the United States in the gold medal game of the 2005 World Cup, scoring four goals and adding three assists. She also helped Australia capture a silver medal at the 2009 World Cup.
Adams has remained deeply connected to Australian lacrosse, serving as an assistant and co-head coach for the nation's U-19 teams at multiple World Championships and as part of the senior team's staff at the 2022 World Championships. She also coached the first ever sixes Austrailian team to the bronze medal at the World Games at Birmingham, Alabama in 2022.
"Jen was and still is an innovator of our game. Even from a young teenager, she was always special," said Stacey (Morlang) Sullivan, a 2003 Loyola alumna and Australian National Team member. "A style unlike any other and a level of IQ that put her ahead of everyone. Not only was she intensely talented, but she did whatever her team needed and always put her teammates first.
"(She is) the ultimate competitor, creative, tough, humble and without question the most consistent high-performer I've ever seen. It's been one of the biggest privileges of my life sharing the field with her for more than half our lives, but more than anything it's the person she is, the depth of her friendship and loyalty and of course the fact that she single-handedly changed the face of women's lacrosse around the world."
Now in her 18th season at Loyola, Adams has guided the Greyhounds to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, nine conference tournament titles, and two NCAA quarterfinal berths. She has coached 28 IWLCA All-Americans, 36 major conference award winners, two IWLCA Players of the Year, two Tewaaraton Award finalist, and an NCAA Women of the Year finalist. She has been named conference Coach of the Year eight times.
"There is no one more deserving in the lacrosse world than Jen Adams," said Georgia Latch, a 2025 Loyola alumna, current Greyhounds assistant coach and member of the Australian National Team member. "She is, and will always be, what Aussie lacrosse is all about. She has paved the way for Australian lacrosse and shown young women that anything is possible. I speak for many when I say that she is a role model."
