KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Louisiana Tech women's basketball coach Teresa Weatherspoon is one of six individuals that will be formally inducted as members of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday. Joining her in the 2010 class are Leta Andrews, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, Gloria Ray and Chris Weller.
Weatherspoon will be the sixth member of the Lady Techster basketball program to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, as she will join Kim Mulkey (2000), Leon Barmore (2003), Janice Lawrence-Braxton (2006), Pam Kelly (2007) and Sonja Hogg (2009).
During her Lady Techster playing career, which spanned from 1984-88, Weatherspoon was a two-time Kodak All-American (1987, 1988) and won the prestigious Wade Trophy as the top player in the country during her senior season. As a senior, Weatherspoon was named the state player of the year, the American South Conference Player of the Year and the national player of the year. In that same year (1988), Weatherspoon won a national championship title -- LA Tech defeated Auburn 56-54 in the NCAA title game -- and an Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. National Team.
She led the Lady Techsters to a mark of 118-14 during her career and two national championship game appearances in 1987 and 1988, earning spots on the All-Final Four teams both years. She was instrumental in leading Tech to a remarkable second half comeback against Auburn to claim the 1988 title.
Weatherspoon -- whose No. 11 jersey is retired at LA Tech -- was named to the NCAA Women's Basketball Team of the Decade for the 1980s. A member of the 1,000-point club (1,087) at LA Tech, she still ranks No. 1 in career assists (958) and career steals (411).
Weatherspoon also earned distinction in USA Basketball circles, leading the U.S. to the gold medal in the 1988 Olympics and the bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics. She also earned gold medals in the 1986 World Championships, the 1986 Goodwill Games and the 1987 World University Games.
During her eight-year career in the WNBA, Weatherspoon started 220 straight games and led the New York Liberty to three WNBA championship appearances in 1997, 1999 and 2000. She was a four-time WNBA All-Star, a four-time all-WNBA second teamer and the two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She still ranks No. 3 in career assists (1,338) and No. 8 in career steals (465) in the history of the WNBA.
Her professional playing experience started in 1988 when she went overseas to play. Weatherspoon spent six years in Italy -- where she was named a six-time all-star -- and two years in Russia.
With the addition of the Class of 2010, the list of individuals who have been recognized as Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductees will increase to 115.