Janice Lawrence

Background

She was born in Lucedale, Mississippi.

Education

She played college basketball for Louisiana Technical, where she helped lead the Lady Techsters to national championships in 1981 and 1982. While only a sophomore in 1982, she was the leading scorer in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, and was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.

Career

In an opening round game, the United States of America team had a nine-point lead at halftime, but the Soviets came back to take the lead, and a final shot by the United States of America failed to drop, leaving the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics team with a one-point victory 85–84. This game was also close, and was tied at 82 points each with six seconds to go in the game. The United States of America team earned the silver medal.

Braxton averaged 8.9 points per game.

In 1984, the United States of America sent its National team to the 1984 William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan, for pre-Olympic practice. The team easily beat each of the eight teams they played, winning by an average of just under 50 points per game.

Braxton averaged 6.7 points per game. She was inducted into the Louisiana Technical University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 2006, Braxton was elected to the Women"s Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Braxton played for the New York team in the Women"s American Basketball Association, a short-lived league in the mid-80"s (not to be confused with WABA a league of the same name existing in 2002). Braxton played 13 seasons in Europe with Vicenza, Messina and Parma in Italian League. She earned All-Star honors in 1997.

She spent two seasons playing for the Cleveland Rockers in the Women"s National Basketball Association (Women's National Basketball Association).

1997–1999: Cleveland Rockers In 2003, she joined the Cleveland Rockers as an assistant coach.

Achievements

• 1982—National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament Most Valuable Player 1983—Kodak All-America 1984—Kodak All-America 1984—Wade Trophy.

Membership

Braxton was a member of the United States of America National team at the 1983 World Championships, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.