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Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame700 Hall of Fame Drive

Knoxville, TN 37915P. (865) 633-9000 F. (865) 633-9294

www.wbhof.com

Hours of Operation

Labor Day - May 1Monday - Closed

Tuesday - Friday 11 am - 5 pmSaturday 10 am - 6 pm

Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm

Closed New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Easter,Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving,

Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day

Off the Backboardthe official newsletter of the women’s basketball hall of fame

Off the Backboard

A Hoopful of Information at www.wbhof.com

Class of 2007 Shines at Tip-Off Classic

Volume 8Issue 2

January2007

Honor the Past Celebrate the Present Promote the FutureJunior Pro Basketball is now in season! All-star Teams will be chosenfrom the individual leagues and will then advance to the Junior Pro Bas-ketball Championships beginning the end of February. On March 23-25,2007 opening ceremonies at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame willkick off the Junior Pro National Championships in Knoxville, TN. TheJunior Pro staff is looking forward to an exciting 36th year of youth bas-ketball!

The Hall of Fame teamed up with WIVK to host the World Vision “GetKids in the Game” Basketball Collection Event. Close to 750 basket-balls were collected and will be distributed worldwide by World Vision tochildren who do not have access to recreational equipment.

Looking for a unique way to advertise? The Hall of Fame will be sellingad space for basketball-related events and organizations in upcomingnewsletters. Call (865) 633-9000 for more details.

One at a time, their names echoed over the loud speakerof the Lloyd Nobel Center at the University of Oklahoma.

By the time the announcement was finished, all six of themstood proudly at center court as the Women’s Basketball Hall ofFame’s newest inductees.

Sure, the word may have leaked out early in some parts ofthe nation, but for that moment in Norman, Oklahoma it becameofficial that Andrea Lloyd Curry, Pam (Kelly) Flowers, DaedraCharles-Furlow, Bridgette Gordon, Andy Landers and Mel Greenbergwere the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007.

“At that point, I said, ‘Wow, it’s real, it’s public, now every-one can share in the excitement,’” Greenberg said. “It was kind oflike the way you felt in the early days of NASA, when the launch tothe moon goes and everybody says, ‘here we go,’ and we take offon a joy ride.”

The ride for the Class of 2007 will conclude in Knoxville onJune 8-9, when it is inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall ofFame. With the six newest faces, the Hall will now boast a total of97 men and women who have impacted the game of women’s bas-ketball.

It was the ninth time that the newest class of inducteeswas officially unveiled at the State Farm Tip-Off Classic. What madethis announcement unique, however, is that for the first time, all sixinductees were present.

“The fact that we were all there was just a greatbeginning,” Greenberg said. “This is a great class and I’m so ex-cited to be a part of it.”

The class includes four former players –Lloyd Curry (Texas),Kelly Flowers (Louisiana Tech), Charles-Furlow(Tennessee) and Gordon (Tennessee) – one coach, Landers (Geor-gia) and one contributor, Greenberg, who covers women’s basket-ball for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

And their careers have many connections. Charles-Furlowand Gordon teamed up to lead the Lady Vols to the NationalChampionship in 1989. Lloyd Curry and Gordon played togetheron the 1988 gold-medal winning USA Olympic Team. Greenbergcovered them all at one point in his career, and Landersrecruited at least three of the former players.

“I guess on a fun side, I must have a pretty good eye fortalent,” Landers said with a laugh.

When told about the announcement being made in Okla-homa, all four former players realized it was an experience thatthey could not miss. So they traveled to Oklahoma, sat back,relaxed and enjoyed the show.

For Landers and Greenberg, however, they were just asmuch a part of the weekend happenings as they were the news.

“I was sort of covering the game, but at that same mo-ment you’re writing the news and you’re a piece of the news,”Greenberg said.

Landers, who coached his Georgia team to a 78-69 vic-tory over Rutgers in game one of the 2006 Tip-Off Classic, hadlittle time to relish in the announcement.

In fact, just after his name was called during halftime ofthe first game, he was whisked away to join his team in the lockerroom. During the second-game announcement, he was able toenjoy it a bit more.

“I just think about all the other people who were both therethat weekend to share in the announcement who are in the Hall ofFame and the ones who weren’t there, and I’m really humbled bythe company,” Landers said. “I’ve read and I’ve heard about somany of these people, and I love the older ones, because I knowas hard as our jobs have been how much harder their jobs musthave been. It’s a very humbling experience.”

Bridgette Gordon, Mel Greenberg, Andy Landers and Daedra Charles-Furlowat the Tip-Off Classic banquet.

WBHOF Board members Fran Garmon and Bill Tipps, and the Class of 2007:Andrea Lloyd Curry, Pam Kelly Flowers, Daedra Charles-Furlow, BridgetteGordon, Mel Greenberg and Andy Landers.

By: Karen TuckerWomen’s Basketball Hall of Fame

Class of 2007

The WNBA concluded its historictenth anniversary season last summer withthe 2006 WNBA Finals presented by Vonage,which saw the Detroit Shock top the Sacra-mento Monarchs in the first WNBA Finalsseries to ever go to a fifth and deciding game.

The offseason has been action-packed as well. Ann Meyers-Drysdale leftthe announcing booth to become GeneralManager of the Phoenix Mercury, who beatthe odds in the draft lottery to win the toppick in the 2007 WNBA Draft. Several coach-ing changes were made, including the Sac-ramento Monarchs named Jenny Boucek ashead coach while Bo Overton joined theChicago Sky front office and Don Zierdanwas hired to lead the Minnesota Lynx.

On December 7, the WNBA Boardof Governors approved the sale of the LosAngeles Sparks to an investment group ledby season-ticket holders KatherineGoodman and Carla Christofferson. Addition-ally, a Dispersal Draft took place after theCharlotte Sting franchise folded. The ChicagoSky selected Monique Currie as the top pick,followed by Tangela Smith (Minnesota Lynx),

WNBA News

WBCA CornerThe Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) recently

unveiled their display case at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inDecember 2006. The case portrays the WBCA’s history and dons 25years of the support and growth of women’s basketball. Items that canbe found on display include a timeline of the WBCA’s history, a ball signedby all of the WBCA’s past presidents along with photos and memorabiliaof many stakeholders in women’s basketball. Please be sure to stop bythe display case to learn more about the history of our game and theWBCA.

VIP Movie Premiere Comes to Knoxville

Featured ArtifactOne of the most unique artifacts at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

is the All-American Redheads’ car. It was one of the first artifacts put into the planswhen the Hall of Fame was being built in 1999 and it is also the most permanentexhibit at the Hall since it was rolled in before the building was completed.

The All-American Red Heads were professional female teams that traveledto compete against men’s teams from 1937-1987. The car, a 1966 Pontiac TouringLimousine, is one of the actual vehicles that the team used to travel to games in the60s. It was found in Arkansas, sold from Mr. Orwell Moore to the Hall of Fame onOctober 30, 1997 for $500 and refurbished in Knoxville for $20,000 before being puton display. Many of the Redheads have been to the Hall of Fame to visit and havewonderful stories about their playing days when they traveled to games in thelimousine.

Andrea Lloyd CurryTexas standout guided the Longhornsto the No. 1 ranking in the finalwomen’s basketball poll each of herfour years, winning the National Cham-pionship in 1986; also a member ofthe 1988 gold-medal winning USAOlympic women’s basketball team.

Pam Kelly FlowersThree-time All-American at LouisianaTech, led the Lady Techsters to twonational championships – the 1981AIAW title and the 1982 NCAA title;Wade Trophy and Broderick Award re-cipient in 1982.

Daedra Charles-FurlowTennessee great was a two-time Na-tional Champion (1989, 1991), two-time Kodak All-American and becamethe first player from the SoutheasternConference to win the Wade Trophyin 1991; Olympic bronze medallist in1992.

Mel GreenbergBest known for his national and local cov-erage of women’s basketball during his 37years at the Philadelphia Inquirer; createdthe first weekly national collegiate women’sbasketball poll in 1976, which began world-wide transmission as the Associated Presswomen’s rankings in 1978.

Bridgette GordonTennessee standout helped to lead the LadyVols to four NCAA Final Four appearances,winning two national championships (1987and 1989); one of two collegiate membersof the 1988 gold-medal winning USA Olym-pic women’s basketball team.

Andy LandersFour-time National Coach of the Year hasnever had a losing season in 27 years ashead coach at Georgia; has compiled a657-208 (.760) record, appearing in 23 of25 NCAA tournaments, including two run-ner-up finishes, five Final Fours, 10 EliteEights and 16 Sweet 16s.

When Believe in Me was shot in New Mexico in 2005,Jim Keith, the legendary Oklahoma high school girls’ basketballcoach and subject of the movie, was invited to the filming.

“(My wife Jorene and I) went out four times, for about aweek at a time, and we just got to thinking that we were awfullyimportant,” Keith said with a laugh.

When he returned to his hometown of Oologah, Okla-homa, a small town of less than 400 residents, Keith realizedthat little had actually changed.

In fact, Keith still volunteers his time to help coach ahigh school basketball team.

“I know I’m crazy to do this at 79 years old, but I’meating it up, I’m just having a ball,” Keith said. “When these kidsand they say, ‘coach can you help me with this?’ it takes thefame right out of it.”

Despite Keith’s modesty, the Women’s Basketball Hallof Fame is teaming up with Beyond the Box, IFC Films, NationalCineMedia and Regal Cinemas to host the VIP Premiere for Be-lieve in Me, the true story of Keith’s life coaching girls’ basket-ball in Oklahoma, on March 8 at the Pinnacle Theater in Knox-ville, Tennessee.

“I am elated; I can’t think of any place I’d rather see it bethan at the (Women’s Basketball) Hall of Fame,” Keith said. “Ithink it’s good for the Hall of Fame and I think it’s great for women’sbasketball.”

Keith refers to the players that were on the Sayer teamthat the book and movie focuses on as “The Originals.” Many ofthem are hoping to make the trip to Knoxville for the movie pre-miere.

Janel McCarville (New York Liberty), HelenDarling (San Antonio Silver Stars) and KellyMazzante (Phoenix Mercury).

The WNBA’s second decade ofplay will tip off on Saturday, May 19, 2007with comprehensive coverage on ABC,ESPN2 and NBA TV. The combined cover-age on ABC and ESPN2 will feature 22 na-tional telecasts, including the 2007 WNBAAll-Star Game on ABC and ESPN2’s sec-ond consecutive year of “WNBA Tuesdays”.

Ann Meyers Drysdale and Jay Parry of thePhoenix Mercury react to winning the DraftLottery and the top pick in the 2007 WNBADraft.

“He’s so special to all of us and he’s been wonderful to allof us,” Jerry (Robertson) Bibb said. “We never thought somethinglike this was going to happen, so we’re really excited.”

Believe in Me will be released in select markets nation-wide on March 9.

Directed by Robert Collector, the movie is adapted fromthe 1974 novel Brief Garland written by Harold Keith, Jim Keith’suncle. The film focuses on Keith’s experiences when he arrived inSayer, Oklahoma in 1964 to coach a boys’ team and found out thathe has been re-assigned as the girls’ basketball coach.

It was a story that appealed to Collector on many levels.“I am a player and I have a daughter who is a college ath-

lete and both my wife and my daughter really urged me to do this,”Collector said. “The decency of the people and the civil rights as-pect for women really appealed to me. In an age where I thinkmoney has ruined sports, the fact that I could do a story aboutpeople who wanted to play for the love of the game really inspiredme. I just thought it was so worthwhile.”

Collector wanted the movie to be realistic and without thespecial effects of Hollywood, so he cast all the players in the movieand sent all of them to boot camp for two weeks before the moviebegan production.

“I just really needed it to be authentic,” Collector said.Actors Jeffrey Donovan, Samantha Mathis and Bruce Dern

star. WNBA/USA Basketball great Diana Taurasi makes a brief ap-pearance in the film as well.“So many great people came together to make this film possible”Collector said. “It was a really emotionally satisfying experience forme, a real labor of love.”

Promoting men’s and women’sbasketball in East Tennessee

www.utfan.com/tipoff

The 1966 Pontiac Limousine is a permanentfixture in the Hall of Fame.

www.wbca.org

By: Summer McKessonWBCA

By: Karen KaseWNBA

By: Karen TuckerWomen’s Basketball Hall of Fame