Feb. 14, 2006
ATLANTA – Former honorable mention All-American Kisha Ford, Georgia Tech’s all-time scoring leader, will represent the Yellow Jackets as Georgia Tech’s ACC Women’s Basketball Legend at the 2006 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Four All-Americans, one honorable mention All-American, two Academic All-Americans and three All-District honorees headline the 2006 class of ACC Women’s Basketball Legends, which will be honored during the semifinal games of the 2006 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament and at the ACC Legend’s Brunch on Saturday, March 4th, at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Ford played at Georgia Tech from 1994 through 1997, during which she earned all-ACC honors on three occasions before garnering honorable mention All-America honors at the conclusion of her senior season. She finished her career as Georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer with 1,955 points, breaking Karen Lounsbury’s record of 1,743 points, set from 1989-92.
The 5-11 guard/forward stands third in the Tech annals in scoring average (17.9 ppg), while holding the record for field goals made (780) and attempted (1,740) and minutes played (3,823). She is also tied with Tiffany Martin for the most steals in school history, with 278.
A native of Baltimore, Md., Ford is third in school history in rebounds (871), averaging 8.0 rebounds per game in her four seasons on the Flats, and also stands third in free throws made (359) and attempted (522).
Following her career at Georgia Tech, Ford became the first Yellow Jacket to ever be drafted by a WNBA team, when she was taken by the New York Liberty in 1997. She went on to play for the Liberty (1997-98), the Orlando Miracle (1999) and the Miami Sol (2000-01) in her five years in the league.
A member of the U.S. Olympic Festival East team in 1994 and USA Basketball Select Team (Jones Cup) in 1995, Ford was honored as a member of the ACC 50th Anniversary Team in 2003, and currently works in forensic accounting for KPMG, LLC in Atlanta.
Fans are invited to attend the ACC Legends Brunch, and may do so by calling 1.336.854.8787, ext. 236, or by visiting www.theacc.com for tickets.
Other ACC Legends to be honored this year include:
Cal Bouchard, Boston College (1996-2000) – Two-time All-Big East First Team member…Kodak All-District I Team selection during the 1999-2000 season…Member of the Big East All-Rookie Team…BC’s career leader in 3-point field goals made…Fifth-best career three-point field-goal percentage in Big East history…Ranks in the top 5 in school history for career points with 1,496…Ranks in the top 10 in BC history for career assists, steals, and field goals made…Named Eagle of the Year (BC’s Athlete of the Year)…Played on the Canadian women’s basketball team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney…First Canadian drafted in the WNBA in 2000…Currently married and pursuing her MBA at Columbia Business School, while also serving as a Board Member of Canada Basketball.
Janet Knight-Linder, Clemson (1982-1986) – First-Team All-ACC Selection in 1984-85 and Third-Team Fast Break All-America pick…Third All-Time Leading Scorer in Lady Tiger History along with second-highest free-throw percentage (81.2)…Three-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll…1985 Rupert Fike Award Recipient for Outstanding Athlete at Clemson….Inducted into the Clemson University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999…Wrote a children’s book entitled Basketball Fever in 2002…Married to Buddy Linder and together they have 3 children…Currently serves as a guidance counselor at Broome High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Katie Meier, Duke (1986-1988, 1990) – 1990 Kodak/WBCA District II All-American…1986 Basketball Yearbook Freshman All-American…1986 ACC Rookie of the Year & 1990 First-Team All-ACC selection…1988 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America…Owns Duke’s third-best single game scoring mark with 36 points in 1987…Ranks in the top-five of 18 different Duke single game, season and career records…Member of the ACC 50th Anniversary Team in 2003…Inducted into the Duke Hall of Honor in 2002…Currently is completing her first season as head coach of the University of Miami (Fla.) Women’s Basketball program.
Tia Paschal, Florida State (1990-1993) – Earned first-team All-ACC, first-team All-ACC Tournament and second-team All-America honors during her career…Led FSU to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances…FSU record-holder in career steals (269) and free throws made in a game (14)…Also among FSU’s top 10 in five season and six career records and ranks second all-time in scoring with 1,662 points… Prior to FSU joining the ACC, Paschal earned Metro Conference All-Rookie Team honors and Metro All-Tournament Team honors two seasons…Played professionally in Germany, Sweden and Spain…Played in the WNBA for the Charlotte Sting…Member of the ACC 50th Anniversary Team in 2003…Currently works as Project Manager for IBM Security in Atlanta, Georgia.
Deanna Tate, Maryland (1986, 1988-1989) – 1989 Kodak All-American…Led team to the Final Four in 1989 and was selected to the All-Final Four Team…1989 West Region MVP, Kodak All-Region pick & member of the All-West Region Team…Three-time ACC Champion in ’86, ’88 and ’89…1986 & 1988 ACC Tournament MVP…Three-time All-ACC Tournament selection…Member of the ACC 50th Anniversary team in 2003…Now working as a corporate trainer for Chili’s Bar & Grill.
Vicki Plowden, Miami (1990-1994) – Member of 1992 and 1993 back-to-back Big East Championship teams at Miami…Named the 1993 Big East Championship MVP…Named the 1992 Big East Preseason Player of the Year…Garnered All-Big East First Team honors in 1992 and 1993…A three-time Big East Player of the Week…Ranks among top-10 in nine different career records at Miami…One of only four players in UM history to average at least 15 points and nine rebounds per game in a career…Currently serves as a police officer for the city of Miami, Florida.
Marsha Mann Lake, North Carolina (1975) – UNC’s first All-America selection by the NWIT in 1975…NWIT All-Tournament Team in 1975…Represented the United States in the 1973 World University Games…Her senior year was UNC’s first as a varsity program…Led the 1974-75 team with 17.0 points, 9.8 rebounds…Had her jersey honored by the school in 1995…Member of the ACC 50th Anniversary Team in 2003…Currently married with 2 children and 3 grandchildren…Now a math instructor at Brevard Community College in Titusville, Florida, since retiring from Fayetteville Technical Community College after 20 years…Pursuing her Ph.D. at Florida Institute of Technology.
Susan Yow, NC State (1975-1976) – First women’s basketball player at the school to be named to the Kodak All-America team…Led the 1975-76 squad in scoring (19.4 ppg), rebounding (11.9 rpg), field goal percentage (213-365; .584) and free throw percentage (79-95; .832)…Holds the school record for rebounds in a game with 27…Member of the ACC 50th Anniversary Team in 2003…Served as an assistant coach on the 1988 USA Olympic Team which won the Gold Medal…Won the Gold Medal as head coach of the South Team at the 1983 Olympic Sports Festival…Served as an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers and Charlotte Sting…Currently resides in Cary, North Carolina.
Cathy Grimes-Miller, Virginia (1982-1985) – Two-time Academic All-American and Kodak District III All-American selection during her career…National Player of the Year finalist as well as NCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year selection…All-ACC selection and named to ACC Honor Roll…Ended her career as school’s all-time leading scorer, rebounder and field goal percentage leader…First women’s basketball player at Virginia to have her number retired by the school…Married to Wendell Miller together with whom she has three children, Chaise, Geno and Wynn…employed as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.
Christi Osborne Vest, Virginia Tech (1991-1995) – 1994 Metro Tournament MVP…1995 Academic All-American…Metro All-Tournament Team selection in ’92, ’93 & ’94…1995 Rawlings Scholar Athlete Award recipient…scored 1,500 career points during her career at Virginia Tech…named Metro Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1993 & 1994…married to Jeff Vest who she met while at Virginia Tech…together, the couple has three children, Bethany, A.J. and Jeffrey…Taught elementary school for several years before becoming a full-time mother to her children.
Jane Jackson, Wake Forest (1977-1980) – Three-time team MVP from 1977-1980…Team’s leading scorer during all four seasons at Wake…Served as team co-captain for two seasons…NCAIAW Division I All-State selection in 1979…Inaugural WFU Outstanding Female Athlete award recipient in 1980…Received the June P. Galloway Award in 1979…Awarded a Marie James Post-Graduate Scholarship by the ACC in 1980…Finished her career as Wake’s all-time leading scorer (first 1,000 point scorer in Wake history)…First female athlete inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 1995…Currently serves as a partner for the law firm of Robinson & Lawing, LLP in Winston Salem, concentrating in civil litigation.
–GT–
