Sylvia Wilson Named a 2016 ACC WBB Legend
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Former University of Miami women’s basketball star Sylvia Wilson was tabbed as a member of 2016 ACC Women’s Basketball Legends presented by New York Life, the conference announced Tuesday.
A 6-foot center and one of the finest players in University of Miami history, Wilson donned the orange and green from 1979-1982.
In her three seasons of play, she amassed 1,713 points, then the most by a Hurricane and still good for eighth place in Miami history. Wilson remains the program’s all-time leader in rebounds (1,125), rebounding average (11.3) and blocked shots (198).
Wilson’s 449 total rebounds and 11.8 rebounds per game in 1980-81 are both single-season school records, as are her 80 blocked shots in 1979-80. She also has third- and fifth-best single-season rebounding totals and the third- and seventh-best single-season rebounding averages at Miami, as well as the fourth- and fifth-best single-season blocked shots totals.
The Haines City, Fla., native led the Hurricanes in scoring, rebounding and blocks in all three of her campaigns, while finishing first in field goal percentage in two of them. Her 17.3 points per game is good for sixth on the program’s all-time list and her 721 field goals made are the sixth-most in Miami history.
Wilson is one of just seven Miami players to record 15-plus made field goals in a game, one of four to block at least seven shots in a contest and the only Hurricane to tally 20-plus rebounds in a game on three occasions.
In 1979-80, Wilson and Jill Poorman became the first all-conference honorees in Miami history when they were selected to the All-FSAC First Team. Wilson received the honor again in 1980-81, making her the first of six Hurricanes to ever garner multiple first team all-conference accolades.
Wilson, who is being honored posthumously, is part of the 12th-annual class of ACC Legends. The group will be honored at the 2016 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, held March 2-6 in Greensboro, N.C. Wilson will be represented there by family members.
Additionally, with family and friends in attendance on her behalf, Wilson will be recognized at the BankUnited Center Feb. 7 during Miami’s 1 p.m. game against Duke.
For more information on University of Miami women’s basketball, follow @CanesWBB.
2016 ACC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LEGENDS
Boston College: Amber (Jacobs) Osborn
Clemson: Chrissy Floyd
Duke: Iciss Rose Tillis
Florida State: Courtney Ward
Georgia Tech: Dr. Carla (Munnion) Eppel
Louisville: Angel McCoughtry
Miami: Sylvia Wilson
North Carolina: LaQuanda Barksdale Quick
NC State: Tammy Gibson
Notre Dame: Brittany Mallory
Syracuse: Paula (Moore) Rivers
Virginia: Tora A. Suber
Virginia Tech: Renee Dennis
Wake Forest: Barbara Buchanan Helms
