Bryant University

Phyllis Cicchelli '51
Women’s Basketball
Hall of Fame Class of 2011

A pioneer in the sport of women’s basketball, Phyllis Zamiello Cicchelli was a member of the Bryant women’s basketball team from 1949-1951. Born in Italy, Zamiello Cicchelli immigrated to Rhode Island at the age of seven, where she was immediately enrolled in first grade without the ability to speak English. But that did not stop her from achieving success. Attending Cranston East, Zamiello Cicchelli took up sports, including basketball, but also found success with various other activities, including various leadership groups and the school orchestra, where she played the violin. Those skills helped her find continued success throughout her collegiate career at Bryant and later as the executive director of the Cranston Housing Authority, where she worked for 25 years.