Daedra Charles-Furlow To Be Inducted Into Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday

Hall of Fame celebration begins Friday in Knoxville

Auburn assistant women's basketball coach Daedra Charles-Furlow will be among six inductees into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, class of 2007, at the June 9 celebration held in the hall's headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt will make the video presentation of Charles-Furlow while former Kentucky head coach and an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Summitt for 18 seasons, Mickie DeMoss, will escort Charles-Furlow during her induction.

"I am very humbled and excited about being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame," Charles-Furlow said. "It is a tremendous honor and I have embraced it. I think being selected says a lot about who I am and about my accomplishments as a student-athlete. I aM thrilled and looking forward to Saturday and being able to celebrate with former teammates and coaches, as well as my current coaching peers at Auburn."

Charles-Furlow, a native of Detroit, came to Auburn with diverse experience at both the playing and coaching levels. An assistant coach with the University of Detroit Mercy from 2003-06, Charles-Furlow was a two-time KODAK All-American and a two-time NCAA Champion as a Lady Vol.

While playing for the Lady Vols from 1998-91, she was named the 1991 SEC Female Athlete of the Year and became the first player from the SEC to win the Wade Trophy, the highest honor awarded in college women's basketball.

Despite missing her freshman season at UT due to Prop 48, she finished her career seventh on the UT scoring list (1,495), sixth in rebounding (858) and second in blocked shots (97).

She is one of only five Lady Vols to have her number (32) retired, joining Holly Warlick, Bridgette Gordon, Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings. In 2001, she joined Gordon as one of nine inductees into the inaugural class of the Tennessee Lady Vol Athletic Hall of Fame.

Charles-Furlow was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team and was a member of three U.S. National teams (1989, 1992, and 1994). After her collegiate playing days, she went on to compete professionally overseas in Japan, Italy and France from 1991-96, before returning to the United States to play for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks in 1997.

Joining Charles-Furlow in the class of 2007 is Georgia women's head coach Andy Landers, former Texas player Andrea Lloyd Curry, former Louisiana Tech player Pam (Kelly) Flowers, Bridgette Gordon - a teammate of Charles-Furlow's at Tennessee and Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Mel Greenberg.

"I am elated to be inducted with Bridgette, one of my former teammates,"Charles-Furlow said. "She was my mentor and is just a real winner. The other five being inducted are also ambassadors for women's basketball. Andrea helped me adjust to playing overseas and I am grateful to her."

Former Auburn women's head coaching great Joe Ciampi was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Hall of Fame's board of directors chooses the new inductees each year. Players can only be considered five years after retiring from their highest level of competition. Coaches must have coached for at least 20 years. For more information on the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame please visit the official Web site at www.wbhof.com.