Janice Lawrence Braxton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Janice Lawrence Braxton

Personal information
Born	June 7, 1962 (1962-06-07) (age 63) Lucedale, Mississippi, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m)
Listed weight	161 lb (73 kg)
Career information
College	Louisiana Tech (1980–1984)
NBA Draft	1997 / Round: Initial allocation
Selected by the Cleveland Rockers
Career history
1997–1999	Cleveland Rockers
Career highlights and awards
Wade Trophy (1984) WBCA Player of the Year (1984) NCAA Tournament MOP (1982) 2x Kodak All-American (1983, 1984)
Medals Women's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1984 Los Angeles Team competition Pan American Games Gold 1983 Venezuela Team competition Jones Cup Gold 1984 Taipei Team competition FIBA World Championship for Women Silver 1983 Rio de Janeiro Team competition

Janice Faye Lawrence Braxton (born June 7, 1962) is a former professional women's basketball player from the United States. She was born in Lucedale, Mississippi. Janice is famous for her amazing basketball skills. She was honored by being added to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. She also joined the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

College Basketball Journey

Janice Lawrence Braxton played college basketball for Louisiana Tech. She was a key player for the Lady Techsters team. She helped them win national championships in 1981 and 1982. In 1982, when she was only a sophomore (second-year student), she was the top scorer in the NCAA tournament. She was even named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 1984, Janice won the WBCA Player of the Year award, which is a big honor for college players.

Louisiana Tech Statistics

Here are some of Janice's college basketball stats:

Playing for Team USA

Janice Braxton also played for the United States National team. She helped her country win several medals.

Pan American Games Gold

In 1983, Janice was part of the USA team that won a gold medal. This happened at the 1983 Pan American Games in Venezuela.

World Championship Silver

She also played for the USA National team at the 1983 World Championships in Brazil. The team played well, winning six games. However, they lost two close games to the Soviet Union. In the final game, the Soviet Union won by just two points, giving the USA team the silver medal. Janice scored an average of 8.9 points per game in this tournament.

Jones Cup Victory

In 1984, the USA National team went to the William Jones Cup in Taiwan. This was a practice tournament before the Olympics. The team easily won all eight of their games. They won by almost 50 points on average in each game. Janice averaged 6.7 points per game during this event.

Olympic Gold Medalist

Janice achieved a huge dream by winning a gold medal. She was part of the USA Women's Olympic basketball team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

In 1987, Janice was inducted into the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame. Later, in 2006, she was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Janice Braxton played professional basketball for many years.

Playing in Europe

Janice played for 13 seasons in Europe. She played for teams like Vicenza, Messina, and Parma in the Italian League. Her team, Vicenza, won the European Champions Cup four times while she was there. She scored almost 23 points per game for them. In 1997, she was named an All-Star.

WNBA Career with Cleveland Rockers

In 1997, Janice was chosen to play in the new Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was picked by the Cleveland Rockers. Her first WNBA game was on June 21, 1997. She played for three seasons, all with the Rockers, from 1997 to 1999.

Her best WNBA season was in 1998. She started all 30 games and helped the Rockers finish first in their conference. They made it to the Semi-Finals against the Phoenix Mercury. Even though Janice played great, averaging 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds, the Rockers lost the series.

In 1999, the Rockers had a tougher season. Janice played fewer minutes and her stats were lower. Her last WNBA game was on August 21, 1999, where the Rockers won against the New York Liberty.

After her playing career, Janice joined the Cleveland Rockers again in 2003, this time as an assistant coach.

Awards and Honors

Janice Lawrence Braxton received many awards for her basketball talent:

• 1982—NCAA Tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player)
• 1983—Kodak All-America
• 1984—Kodak All-America
• 1984—Wade Trophy

Career Statistics

Here are Janice's WNBA career statistics:

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Janice Lawrence para niños