Sylvia Crawley

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Sylvia Crawley

Sylvia Crawley (born September 27, 1972 in Steubenville, Ohio, USA) is a former collegiate and professional women's basketball player. She is currently the head women's basketball coach of the Ohio Bobcats.

[edit] Playing career

Crawley played collegiate basketball for the women's basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). She was a member of the UNC's NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship team in 1994, her senior season.

After graduation from UNC, Crawley played in the American Basketball League (ABL). She won the ABL's slam dunk contest in 1998.

After the ABL folded due to financial problems, she was selected by the Portland Fire, and played with them for three seasons. When the Fire folded, Crawley was selected by the Indiana Fever during the WNBA's dispersal draft in April 2003. But prior to the start of the 2003 season, the Fever traded Crawley and a rookie player Gwen Jackson to the San Antonio Silver Stars, in exchange for Natalie Williams and Coretta Brown.

Crawley spent that one season with the Silver Stars in 2003, mostly in a reserve role, that was marred when she suffered a sprained neck injury after a collision with Washington Mystics player Tonya Washington while chasing for a loose ball.

Shortly before the 2004 WNBA season began, Crawley announced her retirement from basketball. But just prior to the start of the 2006 season, Crawley came out of retirement and signed a contract to return to the Silver Stars for the season. However, the day before the season started, the Silver Stars waived her from training camp.

[edit] Coaching Career

Crawley served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of North Carolina, from 2000-02. In her two seasons with the Tar Heels, the team was 41-23 and made a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. After the completion of her playing career in 2004, she served as the top assistant at Fordham University under head coach Jim Lewis. Following Lewis' retirement at the end of the 2005-2006 season, Crawley was named interim head coach.

Shortly thereafter, Crawley was named head coach of the Ohio Bobcats' women's basketball team on April 18, 2006. Upon her hiring, Ohio University Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt stated, "As we set out to identify the best person to lead our women's basketball program, we looked for someone who had won championships and is committed to the value of higher education. We looked for someone who would not only teach our young women about basketball, but also about life. It was also our hope to find someone who knows our state and our university. In Sylvia Crawley, we have found the person who exemplifies each of the characteristics were looking for, and more."

[edit] External links

Preceded by Jim Lewis	Fordham Rams Interim Head Women's Basketball Coach 2006	Succeeded by Cathy Andruzzi
Preceded by Lynn Bria	Ohio Bobcats Head Women's Basketball Coach 2006–	Succeeded by Current