Janice Lawrence Braxton facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 7, 1962 (age 63) Lucedale, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Janice Faye Lawrence Braxton (born June 7, 1962) is an American former professional women's basketball player. She was born in Lucedale, Mississippi. Janice is a very famous player.
She was honored in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. She also joined the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
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College Basketball Career
Janice Braxton played college basketball for Louisiana Tech. She helped her team, the Lady Techsters, win national championships. They won in 1981 and again in 1982.
In 1982, when she was only a sophomore, she was the top scorer. She was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament. In 1984, Braxton won the WBCA Player of the Year award. This award goes to the best college player.
Playing for Team USA
Janice Braxton played for the USA National team. She won a gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Venezuela.
She also played in the 1983 World Championships in Brazil. The USA team won six games. However, they lost two close games against the Soviet Union. The USA team earned a silver medal at this event. Braxton scored about 8.9 points in each game.
In 1984, she played in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan. This was a practice tournament before the Olympics. The USA team won all eight of their games easily. They won by almost 50 points per game. Braxton averaged 6.7 points per game.
She won a gold medal with the USA Women's Olympic basketball team. This happened at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Janice was honored in the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2006, she was chosen for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame is in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Professional Basketball Career
Braxton played for the New York team in the Women's American Basketball Association. This league was short-lived in the mid-1980s.
She then played for 13 seasons in Europe. She played for teams like Vicenza, Messina, and Parma in the Italian League. Her Vicenza team won the European Champions Cup four times. Braxton scored almost 23 points per game for them. She was named an All-Star in 1997.
Playing in the WNBA
Janice Braxton was chosen to play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was picked by the Cleveland Rockers in the first player selection in 1997. Her first game was on June 21, 1997. The Rockers lost to the Houston Comets. Braxton scored 3 points and had 3 rebounds in that game.
She played for the Rockers for three seasons, from 1997 to 1999. Her team made the playoffs in 1998. Braxton started all 30 games that season. The Rockers finished first in their conference. They played against the Phoenix Mercury in the Semi-Finals.
Braxton played very well in the playoffs. She averaged 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds. But the Rockers lost the series 2-1 to the Mercury.
In 1999, the Rockers had a tough season. They finished with only 7 wins and 25 losses. Braxton played fewer minutes that year. Her last WNBA game was on August 21, 1999. The Rockers won against the New York Liberty. She had 7 points and 5 rebounds in that game.
After her playing career, she joined the Cleveland Rockers again. In 2003, she became an assistant coach for the team.
Awards and Honors
- 1982—NCAA Tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player)
- 1983—Kodak All-America
- 1984—Kodak All-America
- 1984—Wade Trophy
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