Background
Crawford was born to Monroe Crawford and Iris(Blan) Crawford.
Crawford was born to Monroe Crawford and Iris(Blan) Crawford.
Crawford attended Clarendon Junior College on a basketball scholarship. She graduated two years later, after helping Clarendon advance to the quarterfinals of the Amateur Athletic Union national tournament in 1957.
Crawford became interested in basketball when she was only in fifth grade. She learned enough about the game and was skilled enough to be invited onto the senior team in high school while only a freshman. Her performance earned her Amateur Athletic Union All-America honors.
Crawford was offered a scholarship to Wayland Baptist University, one of the basketball powerhouses of the era, but chose to go to Nashville Business College, where Nera White, one of the outstanding players of the era, played.
Crawford originally was enrolled in the school"s business program, but dropped that and worked as a supervisor in the mail room. As an Amateur Athletic Union team, the players did not have to be enrolled as students.
In 1962, the Nashville team was especially dominant, winning every game in the post-season tournament by at least 14 points, and winning the championship game over Wayland 63–35. Crawford played with Nera White for on the Nashville team for eleven years.
Crawford noted, "We knew almost what each other was going to do.
We didn"t have to look or aim. A lot of times, in a fast break, I"d just throw it down to Nera, she"d just throw it down to medical "
The World Championship game was against the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, the first time the United States of America had faced the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics in a major competition. The United States of America came into the final with a single loss to Czechoslovakia, while the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics was undefeated.
Crawford scored a game high 27 points in the championship game against Brazil.