CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina women?s basketball program
celebrated the 2002-03 season Wednesday evening at its annual team
banquet, held at UNC's Friday Center. Senior guard Coretta Brown was
named the recipient of the team's Best All-Around and Best Offense
awards. Sophomore Nikita Bell earned the team's Best Defense and Most
Improved awards.
Recipients of the team's Hustle Award were freshman Jessica Sell and
sophomore Jenni Laaksonen. The Coaches Award went to freshman La'Tangela
Atkinson and sophomore Leah Metcalf. Senior Jennifer Thomas was honored
as the recipient of the team?s Athletic Director?s Scholar-Athlete Award
for the second year.
The team also honored several supporters, naming Diane McGrath and
Laurie Ferris as the Volunteers of the Year. David 'Stoney' Stone
received the team's Outstanding Service Award.
The team's four departing players = Brown, Courtney Chambers, Elizabeth
Coughran and Thomas - provided the evening's highlights with their
'Senior Memories' speeches, which moved the crowd of 250 to laughter and
tears. Brown, the last to speak, summed up all of their feelings with
her final words: "Although I'm leaving, Carolina will forever be a part
of me."
Brown will remain a part of the UNC record books as the program's career
leader in three-pointers and three-point percentage. She also was
recognized Wednesday for passing the 1,500-career-points mark this
season. Junior Candace Sutton was honored for passing the
1,000-career-points mark.
UNC finished the season 28-6 after falling in the NCAA Tournament second
round to Colorado. The Tar Heels were second in the ACC regular season
with a 13-3 record and were the ACC Tournament runners-up. Carolina was
ranked No. 12 in the last Associated Press poll and No. 15 in the final
USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll.
Sylvia Hatchell, the Tar Heels' head coach for the last 17 seasons,
wrapped up the evening by reminding the returning players of their 6:30
a.m. running workout, looming less than 10 hours away. "Nothing great,"
she told her team and the UNC supporters assembled, "happens without
hard work."