Hot Springs, Ark., native Shameka Christon finished her four-year career at Arkansas as the first woman to threaten the all-time scoring mark of Bettye Fiscus and ended up second all-time with 1,951 points. However, in many ways Christon was second to none in her Arkansas career with many firsts. Early in her career Christon became the first Razorback women’s basketball player to represent the United States at the World Championships and the first to win a gold medal on the world stage. As a senior, she was the first Razorback named Associated Press All-America with her selection to the third team, surpassing Christy
Smith’s four times on the AP team, but as an honorable mention. Christon also became the first voted SEC Player of the Year (both coaches and AP), making her the second Razorback to take player of the year (Delmonica DeHorney in the SWC days). She closed out her time in Fayetteville by becoming the first Razorback taken as a first-round draft pick of the WNBA, going fifth overall to the New York Liberty. Christon added another first as the first Razorback to make an all-pro team as she was on the WNBA’s Rookie Team in 2004.
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ARKANSAS HOOPS
SECOND TO ONE, BUT SECOND TO NONE
Tom Collen returned as the head coach for the Arkansas women’s basketball team in April 2007. Inheriting a team that had set the standard for best start to the first loss with a 15-1 run before setting the standard for futility with a 10-game losing streak, Collen had no expectations of another streak against a schedule including key road contests. After the first win in several years at Missouri, Arkansas came home to face Clemson -- the first ACC team in Walton Arena. Downing the Tigers, the Razorbacks faced the toughest test with NCAA participant Marquette in the finals of the Dartmouth tournament. Trailing by eight, Arkansas rallied for a two-point win. Riding a 14-game streak, the Razorbacks pummelled former SWC rival Texas Tech to close out the pre-conference schedule perfect. The 15-0 start broke the in-season winning streak of the 1990-91 SWC Championship team that set the school record for wins and percentage with a 28-4 finish. The 15 straight games also bested the 11-game run to close the 1998-99 and start the 1999-2000 season. Behind senior double-double averaging post player Lauren Ervin, Arkansas looked ready to vault its top 25 AP ranking back into the NCAA Tournament. Fate had different plans as Ervin tore her ACL in the SEC opener, ending her career as the second all-time double-double points-rebound player. The Razorbacks suffered several other injuries and stumbled to a 2-13 close.
HISTORIC CHANGES
On Jan. 1, 2008, the University of Arkansas brought together the men’s and women’s athletic departments. Starting with the new fiscal year in July 1, 2008, the women’s sports teams dropped the usage of “Lady” and “Lady’Back” nicknames.
MORE CHANGES
The Razorbacks returned to the NCAA Tournament reaching the second round before elimination in 2011-12. The team that bumped them? New SEC member Texas A&M. Arkansas and the 12-member SEC began preparation for the addition of the Aggies and Missouri moving the SEC to 14 teams for the 2012-13 season.
UNIVERSITY
IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES... IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES
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