Feb. 22, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. –
One of the highlights of this year’s ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament will be the inaugural ACC Legends Brunch presented by Food Lion and Pepsi. The group of 11 former standout players — one from each ACC school — will be honored during the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the ACC Legend’s Brunch, which will be held on Saturday, March 5, at the Greensboro Coliseum. Later that day, the Legends will be introduced to the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament crowd at halftime of the first semifinal game. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Included in the inaugural class are 11 former players that represent three decades of ACC Women’s Basketball competitors, including former Hurricane Frances Savage. Below is a complete list of this year’s legends and the accolades from their playing career.
Frances Savage, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>University of Miami
Savage was named the 1992 Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, the 1992 Big East Player of the Year, the 1992 Big East Most Outstanding Player and a 1992 Kodak All-American … she ranks second in Miami scoring history with 2,184 points and first with a career scoring average of 23.2 … helped lead the Hurricanes to the Big East Championship title in 1992, their first season as a member of that conference, averaging 23.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game … inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame, one of only four women’s basketball players … she is also a member of Miami’s “Iron Arrow” Society, the highest honor bestowed on an individual by the University … Savage is currently employed with the Department of Homeland Security as a supervisor with Customs & Border Protection.
Barbara Kennedy-Dixon, Clemson University
Kennedy-Dixon was a two-time All-American (1981 and 1982) and a three-time first-team All-ACC selection (1980-1982) … named the 1981 and 1982 ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player … tabbed the 1979 ACC Rookie of the Year … currently holds the Clemson and ACC career scoring and rebounding records with 3,113 points and 1,252 rebounds … named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball team … inducted into both the Clemson University and state of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame … Kennedy-Dixon currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Director of Women’s Basketball Operations at Clemson University where she resides with her husband, Marvin Dixon, and two children, Jalen (10) and Jasmine (9).
Christine Moreland-Culbertson, Duke University
Moreland-Culbertson was a two-time Kodak District II All-American (1986 and 1988) … tabbed the 1985 ACC Rookie of the Year and the 1987 ACC Player of the Year … a four-time All-ACC selection (1985-88) … stands as one of the most prolific scorers in ACC history with 2,232 career points … leading rebounder in Duke history with 1,229 career boards … averaged a double-double for her career with 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds … named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball team … Moreland-Culbertson currently resides in Orlando, Florida, where she is married to John Steele Culbertson and is a full-time mother to their son, Parker Dennis Culbertson (22 months).
Sue Galkantas, Florida State University
Galkantas averaged 19.4 points per game in her career, a mark that still ranks first on the Florida State career list … scored 2,323 points over her four-year career, the most points ever scored by a basketball player – male or female – in Seminole history … broke the Florida State freshman scoring record and was named a freshman All-American by numerous publications … led the `Noles to a 24-6 record including the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament during her All-American junior season in 1983 … scored in double figures in 115 of 120 career games and holds 16 Seminole records … was the first female athlete in Florida State history to have her number retired … Inducted into the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989 … Galkantas currently lives in Austin, Texas, where she serves as Program Director for Central Texas for the Special Olympics.
Ida Neal-Smith, Georgia Tech
Neal-Smith became the first Georgia Tech women’s player to earn first-team All-ACC honors in 1989 … ranks third all-time in Georgia Tech history with a 39.3 career three-point field goal percentage … stands second in Georgia Tech history with 508 assists and a 4.7 assists per game … one of just three Georgia Tech players in history to record 500 career assists … ranks tenth in Yellow Jacket history with 172 career steals and fifth all-time with the most points scored in a season at Georgia Tech when she had 538 in her senior campaign … was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1995 … Neal-Smith currently resides in Georgia with her husband, Shelton Smith and their daughter, McKenzie and serves as a Project Manager for Trammell Crow Residential and as an assistant coach for the girls’ varsity basketball team at Central Gwinnett High School.
Marcia Richardson, University of Maryland
Richardson was a three-time ACC Women’s Basketball Champion and a member of the 1984 Kodak All-District Team … tabbed the 1982 ACC Tournament MVP … ranks third on Maryland’s all-time scoring list with 1,630 points while leading the Terrapins in scoring averaging 17.4 points per game during the 1983-84 season which ranks eighth in school history … member of Maryland’s 1982 NCAA Final Four team … named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball team … Richardson currently serves as an elementary and middle school health and physical education teacher.
Charlotte Smith-Taylor, University of North Carolina
Smith-Taylor was named the 1995 ESPN National Player of the Year as well as a 1995 All-American by Kodak, the Associated Press and the USWBA … she is the only women’s player in North Carolina school history to have her jersey retired … tabbed the 1994 Final Four Most Outstanding Player after hitting the game-winning shot in the NCAA Championship Game … was a two-time ACC Tournament MVP and a two-time All-ACC selection in 1994 and 1995 … ranks third in career scoring (2,094) and second in career rebounding (1,200) at North Carolina … Smith-Taylor currently plays for the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting as well as serving as an assistant coach for the Tar Heel women’s basketball program and is married to Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.
Genia Beasley, North Carolina State University
Beasley is NC State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,367 points, becoming the first women’s player in Pack history to ever score 2,000 career points … was named a 1978 Kodak All-American … earned three gold medals while playing for the Junior Pan American Games … selected as the state of North Carolina’s AAU Female Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1978 … ranks first in the NC State record books for career rebounds, field goals and blocked shots … one of seven women’s basketball players to have her jersey retired by the school … was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball team … Beasley currently owns All Ages Vision Care in Charlotte, N.C., where she is a pediatric optometrist specializing in learning-related vision problems and sports vision therapy.
Wendy Palmer-Daniel, University of Virginia
Palmer-Daniel is a two-time Associated Press All-American in 1995 and 1996 … named a three-time Kodak District All-American … was the first-ever Virginia player to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds … earned first-team All-ACC honors in 1994, 1995 and 1996 … a two-time ACC All-Tournament Team selection … one of just four Cavaliers to have her jersey retired … was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball team … Palmer-Daniel is currently married to Victor Daniel and playing is for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun while earning Most Improved Player honors in 2004.
Jenny Root-Price, Virginia Tech
Root-Price ranks fourth all-time in the Hokie record book with 1,582 career points … two-time first-team All-Metro Conference selection in 1994 and 1995, as well as being a 1995 Kodak All-American Honorable Mention selection … member of the gold medal-winning East team at the 1993 Olympic Festival … led the Hokies in scoring in both her sophomore (14.9) and senior seasons (16.5) … led the team in field goals made, field goal percentage and rebounding in each of her last three seasons as a Hokie … ranks third in school history in career field goals made (626) and career rebounds (815) … Root-Price, currently employed as a civil engineer for the city of Roanoke, Virginia, is married to former Virginia Tech football player, J.C. Price, and recently had the couple’s first child, Madison Jane.
Amy Privette-Perko, Wake Forest University
Privette-Perko was named a three-time GTE Academic All-American … a three-time Fast Break All-American selection in 1984, 1985 and 1986 … two-time second-team All-ACC selection in 1986 and 1987 … ranks among the school’s top ten players all-time in points, rebounds, assists and steals … recipient of a 1987 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship … named Wake Forest Female Athlete of the Year … inducted into the Wake Forest University Hall of Fame in 2000 … Privette-Perko is currently married to Rick Perko and has two daughters, Anna (5) and Kate (4), and serves as the Associate Director of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics while also serving as Vice President of Immersion Media, Inc.
For information and tickets to this year’s ACC Women’s Basketball Legend’s Brunch please call 1.336.854.8787 extension 244 or go to www.theacc.com.
