Tracy Claxton

Last updated
Tracy Claxton
Biographical details
BornNew Haven, CT.
Playing career
1981–1982 Kansas
1983–1985 Old Dominion
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1989–1990 Quinnipiac (assistant)

Tracy Claxton (born 1961 or 1962) is a former basketball player who amassed 2,420 career points in 1980 while at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Connecticut. She continued to hold the girls basketball record for Connecticut until 1987. At university, Claxton held the 1981 rebound season record with the Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team and was with Kansas when they finished third at the 1981 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship. The following year, Claxton held the rebound season record again while also holding the points season record for 1982. After leaving Kansas to join the Old Dominion Monarchs women's basketball team in 1983, Claxton was the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player after she and Old Dominion won the 1985 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

Contents

After her time at Old Dominion ended, Claxton was in the top five for most career rebounds after she led the season rebounds category in 1984 and 1985. With 1,434 combined rebounds, Claxton was eighteenth in NCAA Division I records for most career rebounds in 2020. As a coach, Claxton was an assistant for Quinnipiac College's women's basketball team from 1989 to 1990 before coaching girls basketball teams from the 2000s to 2020s. Claxton became part of the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988 and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Apart from basketball, Claxton worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association from 1988 to 2001.

Early life and education

In the early 1960s, Claxton was born in New Haven, Connecticut. [1] [2] Growing up, Claxton played basketball in middle school before continuing her basketball career at Wilbur Cross High School. [3] From 1978 to 1980, Claxton and Wilbur Cross won the Class L basketball division in Connecticut championships. [4] In 1980, Claxton amassed over 2,000 points and was the first person in Connecticut to reach this career threshold in girls basketball. [5]

That year, Claxton finished her girls basketball career in 1980 when she left Wilbur Cross. [6] During her time there, Claxton had 2,420 points throughout her career. Claxton continued to hold the record for most girls basketball career points in Connecticut until it was broken by Tracy Lis in 1987. [7] After dropping to third in 2003, Claxton's state record remained in the top five in the mid 2010s. [8] [9]

From 1980 to 1982, Claxton was part of the Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team while at the University of Kansas. [10] At the 1981 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship, Claxton was part of the Kansas team when they reached the second round. [11] The team finished in third by the end of the 1981 AIAW Championship for Division I schools. [12] During her two seasons with Kansas, Claxton had the rebounds season record in 1981 and 1982 while also holding the 1982 season record in points. [13] With her 61 games, Claxton accumulated 792 rebounds and 1,039 points. [14]

After leaving Kansas to become a student at Old Dominion University, Claxton did not play basketball from 1982 to 1983. [3] From 1983 to 1985, Claxton was a member of the Old Dominion Monarchs women's basketball team. [15] [16] With the Lady Monarchs, Claxton and her team won the 1985 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. [17] [18] After the championship game, Claxton was named the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player for 1985. [17]

Following her final season in 1985, Claxton had played in 118 games for Old Dominion. With her statistics at Kansas and Old Dominion, Claxton accumulated 1,999 points and 1,434 rebounds in her career. [19] Claxton was also the Old Dominion season leader for most rebounds in 1984 and 1985. [20] With 1,434 rebounds, Claxton was eighteenth for most career rebounds by a NCAA Division I women's basketball player in 2020. [21] Apart from her college basketball career, Claxton went to Sacred Heart University in the 1990s to study primary education. [22]

Career

1980s to 1990s

In 1985, Claxton was a candidate to join the Harlem Globetrotters team. [23] She pulled out of the Globetrotter tryout after an ankle injury. [24] During the 1980s, Claxton chose not to play professional basketball outside of the United States. [25] In specific positions, Claxton turned down an offer to play basketball in Ireland. [1]

In the late 1980s, Claxton worked at a daycare before joining Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in 1988 in their claims department. [26] [25] While at Blue Cross, Claxton started her coaching career from 1989 to 1990 with the women's basketball team at Quinnipiac College as an assistant. [27] [28] For the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games, Claxton was chosen to be an assistant basketball commissioner at the Special Olympics. [29] In 1997, Claxton chose the Women's National Basketball Association and American Basketball League as her two options for a playing career. [30]

2000s to 2020s

After opting out of the WNBA, Claxton was working at Blue Cross in their products division before she was laid off in 2001. Claxton later worked in parks and recreation before becoming a member of the Liveable City Initiative for New Haven in 2005. [1] Claxton continued to work with LCI during the 2010s and 2020s. [31] [32]

Claxton was coaching girls basketball for Amistad Academy before she left for Hyde in 2009. [33] She continued to coach girls basketball with Hyde until she resigned her coaching position in 2014. [34] With the girls basketball team at Wilbur Cross, Claxton had 12 wins and 25 losses from 2015 to 2017. After resuming her coaching position with Wilbur Cross in 2020, Claxton had an additional 13 wins and 14 losses up to 2022. [35]

Awards and honors

In 1988, Claxton became part of the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. [36] With Old Dominion, Claxton was inducted into their sports hall of fame in 1992. [37] [38] In 1993, the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance gave a Gold Key to Claxton for her sports career. [39] At Wilbur Cross, Claxton's jersey had previously been retired before it was stolen. In 1995, a replacement jersey was chosen to be retired for Claxton at the high school. [40]

In 1999, Claxton was named one of the 100 best Connecticut athletes of the 1900s by the Hartford Courant . [41] Claxton also became part of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. [42] During the mid 2000s, Old Dominion retired the jersey that was worn by Claxton. [43] In 2020, Claxton was one of the selections for an All-Century Team for girls basketball players by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. [44]

Personal life

In 1994, Claxton had a finger tumor removed. She is not married and has one child. [22]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Bass, Paul (December 22, 2005). "Home Court Advantage". New Haven Independent. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  2. ↑ Blomenberg, Jenn; Senappe, Bonnie (March 2007). NCAA's Women's Basketball's Finest (PDF). Indianapolis: National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 19. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Anderson, Woody (October 17, 1992). "Claxton to Receive Gold Key". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  4. ↑ Solomon, Dave (December 20, 2009). "Coaching the natural next step for Claxton". New Haven Register. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Tracy Claxton Sets Girls Scoring High". The Hartford Courant. January 12, 1980. p. 30.
  6. ↑ Malafronte, Chip (July 1, 2012). "NEW HAVEN 200: Tracy Claxton a women's basketball trail blazer". New Haven Register. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ Kolinsky, Bohdan (February 14, 1987). "Lis grabs state's scoring record". Hartford Courant. p. D1.
  8. ↑ Riley, Lori (January 16, 2009). "Roberts Hits Milestone". Hartford Courant. p. B4.
  9. ↑ Carpenter, Bryant; Krofssik, Sean (February 22, 2015). "One city, one night, once in a lifetime". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. p. B4.
  10. ↑ "Jayhawk Women Wrap Up Second 20-Win Season In Last Three Years". Kansas Athletics. March 28, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  11. ↑ Lee, Mark (March 22, 1981). "UCLA's free throws topple Kansas women 73-71". The Kansas City Star. sec. Sports p. 7.
  12. ↑ "LA. Tech captures women's hoop title". North Adams Transcript. March 30, 1981. p. 16.
  13. ↑ Cooper, Kiaira, ed. (December 2020). "2020-21 University of Kansas women's basketball media guide" (PDF) (Press release). University of Kansas. p. 173. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ Cooper ed. 2020, p. 124
  15. ↑ "Virginia Basketball Records, Women's University Division". Virginia Sports Information Directors. Sidearm Sports. August 1, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  16. ↑ Rabun, Mike (April 1, 1985). "Tracy Claxton is known to her friends and teammates..." UPI. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  17. 1 2 Freeman, Denne H. (April 1, 1985). "Old Dominion rally seals championship". The Record. Hackenback, New Jersey. p. S-9.
  18. ↑ "DI Women's Basketball Championship History". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ Bohannon, Eric, ed. (December 11, 2020). "2020-21 Old Dominion Women's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF) (Press release). Old Dominion University. p. 78. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  20. ↑ Bohannon ed. 2020, p. 79
  21. ↑ "Division I Women's Basketball Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 17. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  22. 1 2 Ducibella, Jim (February 27, 1995). "No MVP, But Memories For Claxton". The Virginian-Pilot. p. C3.
  23. ↑ "Women audition for Globetrotters". Herald and Review. Decatur, Illinois. July 15, 1985. p. B4.
  24. ↑ Yantz, Tom (July 23, 1985). "Two Stars Carry Ball For CCC". Hartford Courant. p. C2.
  25. 1 2 Morelli, Joe (September 23, 1999). "Hometown Heroes: Claxton left her mark before women's pro basketball took off". New Haven Register. p. S11.
  26. ↑ Odermatt, Rick (February 7, 1993). "Claxton epitomizies values of Gold Key". New Haven Register. p. C1.
  27. ↑ "Claxton, Lyons join Braves' coaching staff". New Haven Register. November 20, 1989. p. 43.
  28. ↑ Young, Al (February 26, 1990). "Coaching career much to Claxton's liking". New Haven Register. p. n. p – via NewsBank.
  29. ↑ Solomon, Dave (December 7, 1993). "Claxton joins Special Olympics staff". New Haven Register. sec. Sports p. 30.
  30. ↑ Fuller, Jim (August 11, 1997). "Age still hasn't slowed allowed Claxton". New Haven Register. p. D10.
  31. ↑ Sanders, Alexandra (September 12, 2012). "New Haven seniors get incentives to walk through city program (video)". New Haven Register. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  32. ↑ Hays, Emily (March 11, 2021). "West River Sweep Reveals Landlord Lapses". New Haven Independent. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  33. ↑ Morelli, Joe (December 15, 2009). "Starting from scratch: Amistad Academy set for first varsity season". New Haven Register. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  34. ↑ Morelli, Joe (November 23, 2015). "Girls basketball: Claxton ready to get going as coach at Wilbur Cross". GametimeCT. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Wilbur Cross Girls Basketball History". MaxPreps. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Claxton, Tracy". Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Hall of Fame". Old Dominion University Athletics. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Tracy Claxton (1992) - Hall of Fame". Old Dominion University Athletics. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  39. ↑ Kolisnky, Bohdan (February 8, 1993). "Gold Keys presented". Hartford Courant. p. D6.
  40. ↑ Wilson, Steve (January 20, 1995). "Claxton's No. 15 to be retired again". New Haven Register. p. D6.
  41. ↑ Yantz, Tom; Garber, Greg (December 5, 1999). "Connecticut's Best of the Century". The Hartford Courant. p. E10.
  42. ↑ Fuller, Jim (October 5, 2002). "Claxton feeling Hall right; Ex-Governor star among inductees". New Haven Register. p. C2.
  43. ↑ "Donovan, Penicheiro & Lieberman Headline All-Time Lady Monarch Squad". Old Dominion University Athletics. April 6, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  44. ↑ Fulkerson, Vickie (March 28, 2020). "CIAC All-Century Teams for high school basketball feature five locals". The Day. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
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