Rita Easterling

{{short description|American basketball player}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Rita Easterling

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| number =

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 6

| weight_lbs =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1955|07|26}}

| birth_place =

| high_school = Morton
(Morton, Mississippi)

| college = Mississippi College (1974–1977)

| draft_league = WBL

| draft_year = 1978

| draft_team = Chicago Hustle

| draft_round = 1

| career_start =

| career_end =

| years1 = 1978–1981

| team1 = Chicago Hustle

| cyears1 = 1977–1978

| cteam1 = Mississippi College (assistant)

| cyears2 = 1981–1983

| cteam2 = Mississippi College (assistant)

| cyears3 = 1983–1990

| cteam3 = Mississippi College

| highlights =

As player:

• WBL MVP (1979)
• WBL All-Star MVP (1979)
• 2× WBL All Pro (1979, 1980)
• WBL Assist leader (1979)
• Kodak All-American (1977)
• Mississippi Miss Basketball (1973)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Women's Basketball }}

{{MedalCountry|the {{Flagu|United States}}}}

{{MedalCompetition | Pan American Games }}

{{MedalGold | 1975 Mexico City | National team }}

{{MedalCompetition | World University Games }}

{{MedalSilver | 1977 Sofia | National team }}

| medal_templates-expand = true

}}

Rita Gail Easterling (born July 26, 1955) is an American former basketball player. Called the Queen of the Floor Burns, she played college basketball for Mississippi College where she was named Kodak All-American in 1977.{{cite news |title=Rita Easterling named as Kodak All-American |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/scott-county-times-rita-easterling-named/133790200/ |access-date=20 October 2023 |work=Scott County Times |date=30 March 1977 |page=9A |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}} She later played professionally for the Chicago Hustle in the Women's Professional Basketball League from 1978 to 1981 and was named the leagues MVP and All-Star MVP in 1979.{{cite news |author1=Verenda Smith |title=Scrapper |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-scrappe/133555238/ |access-date=20 October 2023 |work=Clarion-Ledger |date=23 December 1979 |page=D2 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}

Prior to college, Easterling played basketball at Morton High School and in 1973 she was named Mississippi Miss Basketball.{{cite news |title=Program friday to honor Rita |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/scott-county-times-program-friday-to-hon/133789233/ |access-date=20 October 2023 |work=Scott County Times |date=13 August 1975 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}

In 2011, Easterling was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite news |author1=Rick Cleveland |title=Former MC hoops star was ahead of her time |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hattiesburg-american-former-mc-hoops-sta/133790398/ |access-date=20 October 2023 |work=Hattiesburg American |date=28 July 2011 |page=1B, 5B |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}