Feb. 5, 2009
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Former Yellow Jacket great Karen Lounsbury Russell, one of the most exciting Yellow Jackets to have played on the Flats, will represent the Yellow Jackets as Georgia Tech’s ACC Women’s Basketball Legend at the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.
The honorees will be recognized during the ACC Legends Luncheon on Friday, March 6, as well as on the court at halftime of the first semifinal game on Saturday, March 7. The ACC Women’s Basketball Legends program honors past players from each of the ACC’s 12 schools who have contributed to the league’s rich tradition.
Included in the class are 11 former student-athletes and two former head coaches that represent four decades of ACC Women’s Basketball competitors. Below is a complete list of this year’s legends and the accolades from their playing career.
Lounsbury Russell, a 1992 graduate of Georgia Tech, started 114 games and played in a total of 119 for the Jackets. A second-team All-ACC selection in 1990, she finished off a stellar four-year career at Georgia Tech by leading the Jackets to the 1992 WNIT Championship.
By the time she completed her career, Lounsbury Russell had set Tech career records for most points scored (1,743), most 3-point field goals (205) and highest free throw percentage (.814), as well as most 3-point field goals in a season (71). She still ranks second on Tech career lists for points scored, sixth in scoring average (14.6), second in three-point field goals, fourth in 3-point percentage (.373) and second in free throw percentage
A 2006 Georgia Tech Athletic Association Hall of Fame inductee, Lounsbury Russell was twice named to the GTE Academic All-American team in 1990 and 1991.
Lounsbury Russell and her husband, Chris Russell, currently reside in Cary, N.C., with their two children, Colin (12) and Kate (9).
For information and tickets to this year’s ACC Women’s Basketball Legend’s Luncheon, please call 1.336.854.8787 or go to TheACC.com/shecanplay.
Other ACC Legends to be honored this year include:
2009 ACC Legends
BOSTON COLLEGE – Holly (Porter) Little (1993-97)
A dominating rebounder and dead-eye shooter, her stellar play helped boost Boston College women’s basketball to BIG EAST and national stature and success … Porter, who was named the BIG EAST “Rookie of the Year” in her initial campaign, followed with All-BIG EAST honors in each of her succeeding varsity seasons … Porter set a school standard for rebounds with 902 in 108 varsity … Porter started and played in all 108 games of her college career … Porter scored 1,957 career points, averaging an impressive 18.1 points per game while connecting on 47.5 percent of her field goal attempts … A skilled player in every aspect of the game, she led the team in steals for three seasons (196 total) and was credited with 182 career assists … As a junior, the forward became the first BC player to score 1,000 points and record 600 rebounds before her senior season … Porter was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 … A passionate and avid runner, Porter participated in her first Ironman competition, the Ironman Lake Placid in July of 2004 … She and her husband, David, have two children and another due in June.
CLEMSON – Jessica Barr-Dennis (1992-94)
Played just two seasons at Clemson under head coach Jim Davis, but she wasted no time making a name for herself … In 1993-94, became only the third player in Clemson history to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage in a single season … Was named a Kodak and Basketball-America All-American in her second and final year as a Tiger … Became the first Clemson women’s basketball player to be named ACC Player of the Year following the 1993-94 season … That year, she led the ACC with 19.8 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game … Was named to the first-team All-ACC, ACC All-Tournament team, Academic All-ACC team, and ACC Academic Honor Roll … Her awards went well beyond the NCAA and the ACC after being named the state of South Carolina’s Female Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1993-94 … Was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2000 and selected to the ACC 50-Year Anniversary Team in 2003 … Barr still ranks among the best in program history with a 14.9 career scoring average (6th) and a .528 career field goal percentage (3rd) while her 594 points during the 1993-94 season rank sixth all-time … Barr-Dennis currently lives in Columbia, SC with her husband and two children.
DUKE – Barb Krause (1978-81)
Krause graduated summa cum laude from Duke in 1981 with a double major in philosophy and German, while earning departmental honors in German … The captain of the Duke women’s basketball team in 1980 and 1981, Krause was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 … Krause still owns the Blue Devils’ single-game record for rebounds (24, Jan. 10, 1979 vs. Catawba) … Krause’s 23 rebounds against Georgia Tech on Jan. 13, 1979 stands in second place in the Duke single-game record book… Her 17 free throws attempted vs. Colorado on Jan. 5, 1980, ranks eighth on Duke’s single-game charts … Krause’s average of 10.7 rebounds per game in 1978-79 led the ACC that year and ranks third in Duke’s single-season record book … The current Executive Director of the Office of the President and Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives at Skidmore College collected 732 rebounds over her career to rank 10th in the Duke record books … Her 9.9 rebounds per game average during her three years is the second-best in school history and tied for seventh best average in ACC history… Krause earned All-State honors during her playing days and was invited to try out for the 1979 Pan American Games … After being elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Duke, she received her J.D. degree from the Cornell Law School in 1986 and served as editor in chief of the Cornell International Law Journal … Krause played professional basketball in Germany for two years after graduating from Duke … A native of Freeport, Maine, Krause attended Bowdoin College for one year before transferring to Duke University.
FLORIDA STATE – Beverly “Bev” Burnett (1984-89)
One of the most prolific scorers in Florida State women’s basketball history, Burnett finished her career with 1,509 points, a mark that ranks fourth in Seminole history … A four-year letter-winner from 1985-89, Burnett still ranks sixth all-time among FSU players in scoring average at 15.6 points per game … A team captain, the 5-9 forward earned All-Metro Conference first-team honors in 1988 and 1989 and led the Seminoles in scoring in each of those seasons with averages of 21.3 and 15.9 points per game, respectively … Burnett’s 21.3 points per game average in 1988 ranks as the second highest single-season mark in FSU women’s basketball history … She is a six-time member of the FSU 30-point club and her 34 points vs. both Florida A&M (1986) and Virginia Tech (1988) ranks sixth for most scored in a game by a Seminole … Burnett was named third-team All-America by the American Women’s Sports Federation in 1988 and has numerous conference player of the week honors to her credit … Burnett currently teaches sixth grade language arts and geography at Jennings Middle School in Seffner, Fla.
MARYLAND – Chris Weller (Head Coach 1975-2002; Player 1962-66)
A 1966 Maryland graduate, Weller was a four-year varsity letter-winner in basketball and also participated on the swimming and lacrosse squads … After returned to her alma mater for her master’s degree in 1973, Weller became an assistant for two seasons under Dottie McKnight … In 1975, the Weller dynasty began as she was elevated to head coach, where she remained at the helm until 2002 … Weller averaged nearly 20 wins per season in 26 seasons at the helm, making her one of a very few coaches, men’s or women’s, to coach 25 seasons at the same institution … Became only the fifth NCAA Division I coach to earn at least 400 victories at a single institution … She guided the Terps to three Final Fours, eight Elite Eights, and 10 Sweet 16 appearances … Every class of athletes that Weller brought to Maryland reached the NCAA or AIAW national tournament, and all but four classes since 1975 participated in at least one Sweet Sixteen and all but five have advanced to the Elite Eight … Weller was named the ACC and American Sports Foundation’s National Coach of the Year in 1989 … In addition, she was recognized as the 1992 Naismith National Coach of the Year and Basketball Writer’s Association of America National Coach of the Year … Weller was an assistant coach for the U.S. National Jones Cup Team in 1985 and the head coach of the U.S. Select Team in 1986, 1992 and 1994 … Weller has dedicated herself to the growth of women’s basketball in the state of Maryland promoting the formation of the Maryland Coaches’ Association.
MIAMI – Kym Hope (1995-99)
The BIG EAST Rebounding Champion in 1997-98, Kim Hope received her B.A in Sociology and Minor in Sports Management from the University of Miami in 1999 … A two-time first-team All-BIG EAST Selection, and first-team All-BIG EAST Tournament Team member, Hope had an outstanding career at Miami, where she was a three-year starter … Hope finished her career among Miami’s all-time top 10 in scoring (eighth with 1,462 pts), rebounds (sixth), field goals (10th), blocked shots (second), free throws (eighth) and free throws attempted (fifth) … During her four years as a Hurricane, Hope averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds … As a senior, Hope registered averages of 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.9 steals, 1.8 assists, shot 53 percent from the field and 81 percent from the charity stripe … Hope was a member of Miami’s 1997-98 NCAA Tournament team and 1998-99 WNIT team … She has both WNBA and international experience as the Hollywood, Fla., native played with Orlando Miracle in 1999, the Utah Starzz in 2000, the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2003 and has played professionally in Spain (2000), Korea (2001) and Greece (2002) … Following her playing career, Hope was a head basketball and flag football coach for three years and won the district title in 2006 in flag football at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Fla. … She currently teaches psychology at McArthur and serves as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at St. Thomas University.
NORTH CAROLINA – Jennifer Alley (Head Coach 1977-86)
Jennifer Alley served nine years as the first full time head women’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina … Alley helped the Tar Heels capture the 1984 ACC crown and guided her teams to numerous national Top-20 rankings and four NCAA Tournament appearances … Alley has served as a teacher, coach, athletic administrator, marketer and fundraiser for the past 38 years … She served as a member of the Executive Committee of The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Honda Brodrick Board of Directors for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, a liaison representative to the Wade Trophy Committee and on the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning committee and the Life Work Balance Task Force … Alley is the director of the NACWAA/HER Institute of for Administrative Advancement and The Institute for Athletics Executives and the Leadership Enhancement Institute … Alley, who has served on the Kodak All-American Selection Committee, and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, was inducted into the Caldwell County Sports Hall of Fame, Who’s Who in Professional Executives and was selected Appalachian State University Distinguished Alumni of the Year in 2006 … Since 1996, Alley has served as the Executive Director of NACWAA … Alley received her BS degree from Appalachian State University and the MS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
NC STATE – Trena Trice-Hill (1983-87)
A dominating center for the Wolfpack from 1983-87, Trena Trice-Hill guided the Pack to four straight NCAA appearances, two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament titles (1985 and 1987) and an ACC regular-season title in 1985 … Trice averaged 15.1 points 8.4 rebounds per game, including a double-double as a senior with 18.3 ppg and 10.4 rpg … She still ranks as the Pack’s sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,761 points and fifth all-time leading rebounder with 984 boards … Trice was a Street & Smith All-American and Women’s Sports Federation All-American in 1987 … She was also selected to compete on the USA Select National team and USA Basketball Jones Cup team … Trice, whose 184 career blocked shots are second in the school record books, ranks in the Top 10 in points, rebounds, field goals, free throws and blocks … Trice-Hill was a Wade Trophy Finalist in 1986 and went on to participate in the 1988 Olympic Trials … The 6-3 standout is just one of seven players to have her No. 15 jersey retired to the rafters of historic Reynolds Coliseum … She was also named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary team in 2002 … Trice-Hill became one of NC State’s first WNBA players in 1997, the league’s inaugural year, and played with the New York Liberty for two seasons. Additionally, she played with the Federal International Basketball Association (FIBA) for 12 years prior to becoming an assistant coach with Hampton University in 2002 … She is currently in her fifth season as an assistant coach with NC State.
VIRGINIA – Valerie Ackerman (1978-81)
Ackerman is a 1981 graduated of the University, where she was a four-year starter for the women’s basketball team and a two-time Academic All-American … Ackerman, who was among the first women’s scholarship athletes at UVa., was a three-time captain of the Cavaliers … Ackerman helped Virginia reach national Top-20 rankings her senior year … In 1981, Ackerman won the ACC scholar athlete award and in 1997, Ackerman was named Distinguished Alumna by the UVa. Women’s Center … Ackerman played professional basketball in France before graduating from UCLA School of Law in 1985, and she worked for two years as an associate at the New York law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett … In Sept. 2008, Ackerman received John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the most prestigious honor presented by the Hall outside of induction…Ackerman currently serves as Board member for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, and Girls Incorporated … She is the former President of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and is currently the President of USA Basketball … She and her husband, Charlie Rappaport, have two daughters, Emily and Sally, and reside in New York City.
VIRGINIA TECH – Michelle Bain-Brink (1984-88)
A member of the Virginia Tech 1,000-point club… Finished her career with 1,068 points, ranking 18th on the school’s all-time scoring list…A 1998 All-Metro Conference Second Team selection…Tech’s senior single-season field goal percentage leader shooting 56.4 percent (204-362) during the 1987-88 season…Scored the seventh most points in the program’s history with a 29-point performance against Florida State (2/20/88)…Led the 1987-88 team in scoring average (16.8), points (471), rebound average (7.7), rebounds (215), field goals made (204), field goal percentage (.564) and free throw made (63)… Ranks tenth in career field goals made (447), ninth in rebounds (619) and third in blocks (109)… She is currently employed as the Marketing Manager for Nike women’s footwear.
WAKE FOREST – Alice Neal Maneval (1985-89)
Lettered with Wake Forest from 1986-1989 … A dedicated worker who earned respect for her leadership on and off the court … One of the most accurate shooters in the history the women’s basketball program at Wake Forest … A member of Wake Forest’s 1,000 point club … Was a key part of Wake’s success during the 1987-88 season, where the squad earned its first-ever national ranking (16 AP/USA Today) and earned its only invitation to date to the NCAA Tournament … 1988 First Team All-ACC Tournament … Holds record for best free throw percentage in a season with an 88.9 percentage in 1988-89 … Ties for fifth in school history for single-game field goals with 14 vs. ETSU on January 22, 1987 … Ranks 7th in Wake’s single-season history books for field goal percentage in 1986-87, steals (9th) in 1988-89, and assist-to-turnover ratio (T3rd) in 1987-88 … Ranks on Wake’s career record list for point total (9th), field goals (7th), field goal percentage (3rd), free throw percentage (3rd), assists (6th), steals (5th), assist to turnover ratio (7th) … Led team in 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage in 1988-89 … Was Wake’s leading scorer and team co-captain during her senior season … Led team in 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage in 1988-89.
