WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2018

Written by Bryan Messerly

Collegiate: Meg Bulger completed her WVU career as a four-year letterwinner, team captain, All-America honorable mention and All-Big East honoree. She was regarded as one of the premier players at both WVU and within the BIG EAST during her time as a Mountaineer.

After starting her career as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, Bulger went on to become a two-time All-America honorable mention, a WBCA All-Region honoree and a four-time All-Big East honoree. She was named to the All-BIG EAST Freshman team following her rookie season in 2004, and added All-BIG EAST First Team honors as a sophomore in 2005. Despite missing 13 games during her junior season, Bulger was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team in 2006 and repeated her feat as a senior in 2008 after missing the 2006-07 season with a knee injury.

Bulger came off the bench to average 24.1 minutes per game as a freshman in 2003-04, finishing in double-figure scoring 15 times on the season with a pair of double-doubles. She netted 31 3-pointers on the season to rank fifth amongst WVU freshmen and led the Mountaineers with a .403 (31-77) 3-point field goal percentage to ranks third amongst WVU rookies at that time. Bulger earned six BIG EAST Freshman of the Week awards, falling just one shy of the league record, before being named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year as well as a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honoree.

In 2004-05, Bulger became the first Mountaineer, male or female, to win the BIG EAST Conference scoring title while averaging 18.6 points per game and 19.6 points per game overall. Her 663 points ranked fourth all-time in single-season scoring history, and continues to rank sixth after the 2018 season. Bulger led the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.447), 3-pointers per game (2.59) and 20-point games (16). Her five 30-point scoring efforts was a WVU single-season record, and she became the first Mountaineer since 1980 to have back-to-back 30-point performances. Against in-state rival Marshall, she had a BIG EAST season high and then-career-best 36 points (12-for-25) and then went 9-for-15 for 30 points against Seton Hall. Bulger ranked in the top-20 of the nation in points per game (15th at 19.6), 3-point field goal percentage (seventh at.447) and 3-pointers per game (14th at 2.59). Her 663 points ranked second amongst WVU sophomores, as did her 19.6 points per game, 247 field goals per game and 537 field goals attempted (currently third). Bulger’s 88 3-point field goals made and 197 3-point field goals attempted (currently fourth) were WVU sophomore program records, while her .447 3-point field goal percentage ranked second (currently fourth). After earning three BIG EAST Player of the Week awards, she was a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection – the first in program history. Bulger also earned mention on the Postseason WNIT All-Tournament Team and was a WBCA/Kodak All-America Honorable Mention.

As a junior in 2005-06, Bulger ranked atop the nation with 3.5 3-point field goals per game. She set WVU Coliseum records for points in a half (26) and points in a game (38), tying the program record for points in a game (38). Bulger later scored her 1,000th career point at UNCG. She was third in the BIG EAST in scoring, but tore her ACL at the end of January and missed the remaining 13 games. Despite her injury, Bulger garnered All-BIG EAST Second Team accolades and was named an AP All-America Honorable Mention.

After sitting out the 2006-07 season while recovering from her knee injury, Bulger picked up where she left off as a senior in 2007-08. She led the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage, ranking fourth in the nation. Additionally, Bulger led the league in 3-point field goals made per game, ranking 13th in NCAA Division I. Her 83 3-pointers made ranked second all-time among WVU seniors (currently third), while her.444 3-point field goal percentage leads all Mountaineer seniors. At the conclusion of the season, she was awarded the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award and named to the BIG EAST All-Second Team.

Bulger departed Morgantown ranked fifth all-time in career scoring with 1,665 points (currently seventh), fifth in career points per game at 15.4, seventh in field goals made with 599 (ninth), seventh in field goals attempted with 1,345 (currently 10th), second in 3-point field goals made with 265, fourth in 3-point field goals attempted with 607 (seventh) and fifth with 29 20-point games. She capped her career as the program’s all-time leader 3-point field goal percentage (.437) and free-throw percentage (.831), and was tied for the all-time lead with six 30-point outings. She continues to hold all three records.

In the single-season record books, Bulger ranked fourth in scoring with 663 points in 2005 (currently sixth), fifth (19.8 ppg in 2006) and sixth (19.5 ppg in 2005) in scoring average, fifth in field goals made with 247 in 2005 (currently seventh), fifth in field goals attempted with 537 in 2005 (currently seventh), fourth (88 in 2005) and tied for fifth (83 in 2008) in 3-point field goals made, fifth (197 in 2005) and seventh (187 in 2008) in 3-pointers attempted (currently unranked), fifth (.447 in 2005), sixth (.444 in 2008) and seventh (.432 in 2006) in 3-point field goal percentage (currently sixth, seventh and eighth) as well as sixth (.843 in 2004) and ninth (.835 in 2005) in free-throw percentage (currently eighth and unranked). Her 1,235 minutes played in 2005 ranked second (currently ninth), while her 34 games played in 2005 tied for first (no longer ranked). Additionally, her five 30-point games in 2005 remain a WVU record.


Sports Awards/Honors: Kodak/WBCA All-America Honorable Mention (2005) … AP All-America Honorable Mention (2006) … WBCA All-Region Team (2005) … All-BIG EAST First Team (2005) … All-BIG EAST Second Team (2006, 2008) … BIG EAST All-Freshman Team (2004) … BIG EAST Rookie/Freshman of the Year (2004) … Big East Sportsmanship Award (2004) … Gballmag.com Young All-American (2004) three-time BIG EAST Player of the Week … six-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week … Postseason WNIT All-Tournament Team (2005).

Professional: Selected by the Sacramento Monarchs in the third round (36th overall) of the 2007 WNBA Draft … however, the selection was declared invalid as Bulger did not enter the draft and had one season of eligibility remaining.

Personal: Daughter of James and Patricia Bulger … sister of former WVU quarterback Marc Bulger, who was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and women’s basketball player Kate Bulger, who was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.