Cindy Brown (basketball)

Last updated

Cindy Brown
Personal information
Born (1965-03-16) March 16, 1965 (age 59)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school Grant (Portland, Oregon)
College Long Beach State (1983–1987)
Playing career1998–1999
Position Forward / center
Number14
Career history
1998–1999 Detroit Shock
1999 Utah Starzz
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Women's Basketball
Representing Flag of the United States.svg United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1988 Seoul Team competition
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1987 Indianapolis Team competition
World University Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1985 Kobe Team competition
FIBA World Championship for Women
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1986 Moscow Team competition

Cynthia Louise "Cindy" Brown (born March 16, 1965) is a retired American women's basketball player, at the college, Olympic and professional levels. Brown was a member of the USA Basketball team which went on to win a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1987, [1] and the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. [2] She was also a member of the gold medal-winning team for the US at the 1985 World University Games, and the 1986 World Championship team. [3] [4]

Contents

College career

Born in Portland, Oregon, Brown played basketball for Long Beach State University between 1983 and 1987. [5] As a senior, she set two NCAA scoring records—the most points in a single season (974) and the most points in a single game (60). [5] The 60 point game was against San Jose State, a game Long Beach would win 149–69. [6] [7] Brown was a member of the Final Four All-Tournament team in 1987, and earned first team All-America honors in 1986 and 1987. [5]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

WNBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
1998 Detroit 303032.247.032.870.710.01.81.70.72.211.8
1999 Detroit 212123.331.523.369.25.41.01.20.61.76.9
Utah 9017.334.410.068.83.71.11.00.21.33.8
Career2 years, 2 teams605126.941.027.770.17.51.41.40.61.98.9

College

Source [8]

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
YearTeamGPPointsFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1983–84 Long Beach State 30318.554.6336.6NA10.6
1984–85Long Beach State30599.589.68110.02.920.0
1985–86Long Beach State33805.596.69510.22.524.4
1986–87 Long Beach State 35974.579.7899.92.627.8
Career1282,696.583.7219.32.021.1

Professional career

Because the U.S. lacked a women's pro league, Brown played professionally in Europe and Japan for almost a decade. [5] She played for:

She was selected by the Seattle Reign in the second round of the ABL Draft on June 19, 1996. A 6'-1" center/power forward, a tenacious rebounder and a strong inside scoring presence, Brown earned Second Team All-ABL honors following the 1996–97 season. [5] She was assigned to the site of her college success, the expansion Long Beach Stingrays on April 26, 1997. Before she ever reported to Long Beach, however, Brown signed with the rival WNBA.

WNBA

Brown was part of the initial player allocation prior to the 1998 season and was sent to the Detroit Shock. [9] Brown's debut game was played on June 13, 1998 in a 69 - 78 loss to the Charlotte Sting where she recorded 10 points and 8 rebounds. [10]

In her first season with the Shock, she was the starting Forward for all 30 games of the season, finished second in the WNBA in rebounding and was named to the 1998 All-WNBA Second Team. On August 10, 1998, Brown broke the Shock franchise record for most rebounds in a game when she grabbed 21 rebounds in a 77 - 73 win over the Utah Starzz. Future Detroit Shock star Cheryl Ford would tie Brown's rebound record on June 22, 2003 against the Connecticut Sun, but then Ford broke the record on May 22, 2004 when she snagged 22 boards against the San Antonio Silver Stars. The Shock finished the 1998 season with a 17-13 record but missed the playoffs.

On July 29, 1999, midway through her second WNBA season, Brown was traded, along with teammate Korie Hlede, to the Utah Starzz [11] for Wendy Palmer and Olympia Scott-Richardson. It was alleged that both Hlede and Brown requested to be traded from Detroit. Hlede wanted more playing time as her minutes per game dropped from 33.8 in her rookie season with the Shock, to 19.4 in her sophomore season. While Brown was alleged to have not gotten along well with coach and general manager Nancy Lieberman. [12]

Brown played in 9 of Utah's remaining 11 season games (missing the final 2 games of the season). She started in all 9 of those games and averaged 3.8 points and 3.7 rebounds. The Starzz closed out the season winning 8 of their last 11 games. Unfortunately, the team had a 7 - 14 record by the time Brown arrived and the team consequently missed the playoffs after finishing 15 - 17. [13]

After finishing the 1999 season with the Starzz, Brown would announce her retirement from the WNBA. Her final game in the league was played on August 16, 1999 in a 71–80 loss to the Houston Comets. In her final game, Brown recorded 2 rebounds, 1 assist but no points. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cynthia Cooper-Dyke</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1963)

Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke is an American basketball coach and former player who has won championships in college, in the Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is considered by many as one of the greatest female basketball players ever. In 2011, Cooper-Dyke was voted by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. Upon the league's formation, she played for the Houston Comets from 1997 to 2000, being named the Most Valuable Player of the WNBA Finals in all four seasons, and returned to play again in 2003. Cooper-Dyke still holds the record for most Finals MVPs with four. On April 30, 2019, she was introduced as the head coach for the Texas Southern Lady Tigers basketball team, a position she held in the 2012–13 season. She has also coached at USC, UNC Wilmington, Prairie View A&M, and, professionally, for the Phoenix Mercury. Cooper-Dyke was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolanda Griffith</span> American basketball player (born 1970)

Yolanda Evette Griffith is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the ABL and WNBA. An eight time WNBA All-Star, she was named the 1999 WNBA MVP and the WNBA Finals MVP in 2005 when she won the WNBA championship with the Sacramento Monarchs. One of the top defensive players in WNBA's history, she was the 1999 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in rebounds and steals two times each. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history. She is sometimes called by her nicknames: "Yo" and "Yo-Yo". Griffith was inducted into the 2014 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's class on her first year of eligibility. In 2021, she was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena Baranova</span> Russian basketball player (born 1972)

Elena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian former professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the 2005 season.

Natalie Jean Williams is an American basketball executive and former player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Williams was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. She was also an accomplished volleyball player at UCLA. Since 2022, Williams has served as the General Manager of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

Olympia Scott, formerly known under her married name of Olympia Scott-Richardson, is an American former professional basketball player in the WNBA, and a former college coach. She is also co-founder of an online parenting education company called "Super Parenting LLC" and of a coaching company called "A Wonderful Life! Coaching".

Adrienne Goodson is an American former basketball player, a 6-foot forward noted for her exceptional rebounding ability, especially on the offensive glass. Her professional career in Brazil, the ABL, and the WNBA spanned 14 years.

Dena Head is an American retired women's basketball player. She is best remembered as the first player drafted in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Palmer</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1974)

Wendy Palmer is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, and former head coach of the UNCG women's basketball team. Her primary position was forward.

Chantel Ruth Tremitiere is an American former professional women's basketball player.

Pamela Denise McGee is an American former professional women's basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. She is the mother of NBA player JaVale McGee and WNBL player Imani McGee-Stafford.

Bridgette C. Gordon is the head women's basketball coach of Florida A&M University, and a retired player. She was a member of the United States women's national basketball team, that claimed the gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulsa Shock</span> Basketball team in Oklahoma, United States

The Tulsa Shock were a professional basketball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Detroit, Michigan before the 1998 WNBA season began; the team moved to Tulsa before the 2010 season. The team was owned by Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC, which is led by Bill Cameron and David Box. On July 20, 2015, Cameron announced that the franchise would move to Arlington, Texas for the 2016 WNBA season, rebranding as the Dallas Wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tajama Abraham Ngongba</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1975)

Tajama Abraham Ngongba is a former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association. Abraham attended George Washington University and was the 31st draft pick in the 1997 WNBA draft. She played for Sacramento Monarchs in 1997 and Detroit Shock in 1998. Abraham took a position as the women's Assistant Coach of basketball at George Mason University in 2013.

Korie Hlede is a Croatian sports administrator. She is a co-founder and leader of basketball development at Flow Basketball Academy (FBA) in Chicago, Illinois. She played and coached professionally before starting her own training program KH Flow. In 2012, she teamed up with Margaret Stender to create Flow Basketball Academy.

Tammi Reiss is the head coach of the University of Rhode Island’s women’s basketball team, and a former professional basketball player and American actress. She is currently the head coach for the University of Rhode Island. Reiss is a native of New York state. Reiss graduated from the University of Virginia in 1992 with a major in sports management. As a professional, she was chosen in the first round of the first-ever WNBA draft and played for two years with the Utah Starzz. She is currently the head coach of the University of Rhode Island Lady Rams basketball team.

Jennifer Raegan Pebley is an American basketball coach and former player.

Jessie Hicks is a former professional basketball player. She was chosen to be a member of the 2013 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament Legends Roster, a class of 12 former-student-athletes who represent three decades of basketball.

Denique Monai Graves is a former professional basketball player. She played for the Sacramento Monarchs in the Women's National Basketball Association's first season.

Deborah Carter is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for the Utah Starzz in 1997 and Washington Mystics in 1998.

Kimberly Williams is a former professional basketball player who played two seasons for the Utah Starzz of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Tenth Pan American Games -- 1987". USA Basketball. June 10, 2010. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Games of the XXIVth Olympiad -- 1988". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Thirteenth World University Games -- 1985". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Tenth World Championship For Women -- 1986". USA Basketball. August 14, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Porter p. 57
  6. ↑ "IN THE NEWS Cindy Brown". LA Times. February 17, 1987. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Cindy Brown Has 60 Points in 149-69 Win". Los Angeles Times. February 17, 1987. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Women's Basketball Finest" (PDF). fs.ncaa.org. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ "1998 WNBA Draft Overview".
  10. ↑ "Charlotte Sting at Detroit Shock, June 13, 1998".
  11. ↑ Porter p. 58
  12. ↑ "WNBA".
  13. ↑ "STARZZ: Utah Starzz History".
  14. ↑ "Utah Starzz at Houston Comets, August 16, 1999".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.