Venus Lacy
Encyclopedia
Venus Lacy born on February 9, 1967 in Chattanooga, Tennessee
, is a former star basketball
player, at the high school, college, Olympic and professional levels. A wide-bodied, muscular 6'-4" center
, at her best Lacy was an intimidating force inside the paint, both scoring and rebounding. She won championships at every level, but her American professional career was diminished by injuries she sustained in a 1997 car accident.
Venus Lacy attended Louisiana Tech University
, which she led to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
in 1988
. The next year, the Lady Techsters made the 1989 Final Four
, but lost there to Auburn
. In her Senior year, 1990, Louisiana Tech went undefeated through the regular season, and was ranked #1 in the national polls. That year Lacy she was a consensus all-American, and was named the women's college Player of the Year. The 1990 team again made the Final Four
, where they were once again upset by their nemesis Auburn. Lacy finished her NCAA career with 266 points scored in the tournament, putting her among the all-time top 10 women at the time.
Lacy was also a member of the gold-medal-winning 1996 Olympic team
. Lacy was the last player added to the USA's 12-woman roster, joining the team midway through its year-long exhibition tour to add size in the paint. The team went an undefeated 52-0 in this unprecedented Olympic preparation year, against a variety of college, all-star and international teams.
Lacy was the first player selected by the Seattle Reign
in the ABL Draft on June 19, 1996. From this promising start, her luck seemed to turn sour. Lacy was seriously injured in a car accident on February 4, 1997, and completed her season in Seattle on the injured list. After that year, she was selected by the ABL's expansion Long Beach StingRays
. Expansion teams typically fare poorly in their first several years, but this was an exception: Long Beach made the ABL Finals in their first and only season, where they lost the championship to the Columbus Quest
, two games to none. Notwithstanding their on-court success, the Long Beach franchise folded after one year, and next year Lacy was once again drafted by another ABL expansion team, the even shorter-lived Nashville Noise
. Just 15 games into the 1998-1999 season, on December 22, 1998, the ABL itself folded.
No doubt due to her injuries, Lacy went undrafted by any WNBA team in the special post-ABL consolidation draft. However, midway through the 1999 season, Lacy was picked up by the New York Liberty
to fill in for their injured All-star center, Rebecca Lobo
. Lacy played in 17 games that year for the Liberty, and in 2 more in 2000, but without much success. She has not played in the WNBA since.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, is a former star basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, at the high school, college, Olympic and professional levels. A wide-bodied, muscular 6'-4" center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, at her best Lacy was an intimidating force inside the paint, both scoring and rebounding. She won championships at every level, but her American professional career was diminished by injuries she sustained in a 1997 car accident.
High School, College and Olympic Career
A local sports heroine (a city parkway is named after her), Lacy led Chattanooga's Brainerd High School to the state championship in 1984.Venus Lacy attended Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
, which she led to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
in 1988
1988 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Athens, GA :-East Regional - Norfolk, VA :-Midwest Regional - Austin, TX :-Final Four - Tacoma, WA :-References:...
. The next year, the Lady Techsters made the 1989 Final Four
1989 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 15 and ended on April 2. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Tennessee, and Maryland, with Tennessee winning its second title with a 76-60 victory over Auburn...
, but lost there to Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. In her Senior year, 1990, Louisiana Tech went undefeated through the regular season, and was ranked #1 in the national polls. That year Lacy she was a consensus all-American, and was named the women's college Player of the Year. The 1990 team again made the Final Four
1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 11 and ended on April 1. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Virginia, Stanford, Auburn, and Louisiana Tech, with Stanford defeating Auburn 76-60 to win its first NCAA title. Stanford's Jennifer Azzi...
, where they were once again upset by their nemesis Auburn. Lacy finished her NCAA career with 266 points scored in the tournament, putting her among the all-time top 10 women at the time.
Lacy was also a member of the gold-medal-winning 1996 Olympic team
Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
. Lacy was the last player added to the USA's 12-woman roster, joining the team midway through its year-long exhibition tour to add size in the paint. The team went an undefeated 52-0 in this unprecedented Olympic preparation year, against a variety of college, all-star and international teams.
Professional career
Because the U.S. lacked a women's pro league, Lacy's professional career began overseas, where she played for teams in Greece, Italy and Japan. She led Greece to a European championship in the 1995-1996 season.Lacy was the first player selected by the Seattle Reign
Seattle Reign
The Seattle Reign was the first women's professional basketball franchise in Seattle, Washington. The Reign was a charter member of the American Basketball League . The team played from 1996 through 1998...
in the ABL Draft on June 19, 1996. From this promising start, her luck seemed to turn sour. Lacy was seriously injured in a car accident on February 4, 1997, and completed her season in Seattle on the injured list. After that year, she was selected by the ABL's expansion Long Beach StingRays
Long Beach Stingrays
The Long Beach Stingrays was a women's professional basketball team. It existed for only the 1997-98 season, and was a member of the American Basketball League....
. Expansion teams typically fare poorly in their first several years, but this was an exception: Long Beach made the ABL Finals in their first and only season, where they lost the championship to the Columbus Quest
Columbus Quest
The Columbus Quest was a professional women's basketball franchise located in Columbus, Ohio in the now-defunct American Basketball League . They were one of the league's original eight teams that started play in 1996...
, two games to none. Notwithstanding their on-court success, the Long Beach franchise folded after one year, and next year Lacy was once again drafted by another ABL expansion team, the even shorter-lived Nashville Noise
Nashville Noise
The Nashville Noise was a short-lived member of the American Basketball League . The site was a sound one, capitalizing on the long-time success and well established fan support of the University of Tennessee's women's basketball program, and the team was anchored by former Tennessee All-American...
. Just 15 games into the 1998-1999 season, on December 22, 1998, the ABL itself folded.
No doubt due to her injuries, Lacy went undrafted by any WNBA team in the special post-ABL consolidation draft. However, midway through the 1999 season, Lacy was picked up by the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
to fill in for their injured All-star center, Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
. Lacy played in 17 games that year for the Liberty, and in 2 more in 2000, but without much success. She has not played in the WNBA since.
Cultural references
- The name "Venus Lacy" was used as the title of a song by Team DreschTeam DreschTeam Dresch is an American punk band from Portland, Oregon, originally formed in Olympia, Washington, which was initially active from 1993 until 1998. The band made a significant impression on the do-it-yourself movement queercore, which gave voice through zines and music to the passions and...
, a queercoreQueercoreQueercore is a cultural and social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of punk. It is distinguished by being discontent with society in general and its rejection of the disapproval of the gay, bisexual, and lesbian communities and their "oppressive agenda"...
(lesbian/feminist punk rockPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
) band based in Portland, Oregon. Her name was likely chosen because of the contrast between its traditional feminine allusions (goddess of beauty + adjective associated with lingerie) and Lacy's physically imposing presence.