Techsters. A fearless leader on and off the court, Spoon exemplified the term emotional leader with a burning passion for the game. During Spoon’s playing days, Tech posted a 118-14 record and played in two national championship games. Spoon earned Kodak All-American honors her final two seasons and capped off her spectacular career by winning the 1988 National Championship and earning the Wade Trophy as the nation’s top women’s collegiate basketball player. Known more for her ballhandling and passing abilities than scoring, the Pineland, Texas, native saved her best performances for some of the nation’s top teams, recording a career high 17 assists against then nationally-ranked LouisianaMonroe and 10 steals against then nationally-ranked UCLA. During her career, Spoon scored 1,087 points, recorded 958 assists and totaled 411 steals with the assists and steals still ranking No. 1 in the Tech record books. Spoon - whose number is retired captured an Olympic gold medal in the 1988 games prior to becoming a four-time WNBA All-Star starter with the Liberty. She is an enshrined member of the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame and will be enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
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Nora Lewis (1985-1989) Kodak Year(s): 1989 Nora Lewis ’ Louisiana Tech career didn’t start out on the most positive note, but it sure ended on one. Midway through Lewis’ freshman season - one in which she was averaging 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds the forward suffered a season-ending knee injury and missed the remaining games. However, Lewis would not be deterred. The Peoria, Ill., native worked hard during the off-season and responded by averaging 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds her sophomore campaign before helping guide Tech to the 1988 national championship game her junior season. Lewis earned her Kodak All-American honors following an incredible senior season that saw her average a double-double with 18.3 points and 10.9 rebounds a contest. The 6-foot forward also earned All-American South Conference and All-Louisiana honors her final two seasons. Currently, Lewis ranks No. 10 in points (1,760), No. 6 in free throws made (377) and
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No. 7 in rebounds (1,071). Her No. 40 jersey is retired. Venus Lacy (1987-1990) Kodak Year(s): 1990 One of the greatest players in the history of Louisiana Tech didn’t start out as a Lady Techster. After playing her freshman season at Old Dominion, Venus Lacy made the decision to transfer to Tech - a move that would pay off for both her and the Lady Techsters. A virtual unknown before her playing days in Ruston, Lacy turned into one of the greatest post players in the country in little time. The 6-foot, 4-inch post helped Tech capture its third national championship during her first season (the 1987-88 NCAA title), averaging 14.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. Her junior campaign Lacy earned the American South Conference and Louisiana Player of the Year honors scoring over 20 points a contest. However, her great career was capped off by earning Kodak All-American honors as well as USBWA and Champion National Player of the Year awards her following her senior season, one in which she averaged 24.2 points a game (still a Louisiana Tech record). The Chattanooga, Tenn., native finished her three-year Tech career ranking No. 4 in points (2,004), No. 1 in scoring average (20.0), No. 6 in field goals made (793), No. 4 in rebounds (1,125) and No. 7 in blocked shots (164). Lacy went on to win an Olympic gold medal in the 1996 games in Atlanta and played for two seasons with the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Her jersey is retired at Tech.
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Vickie Johnson (1993-96) Kodak Year(s): 1995, 1996 A two-time Kodak All-American (1995 and 1996), Johnson helped re-establish Louisiana Tech’s national prominence in the mid-90s after the Lady Techsters had suffered through two mediocre seasons in 1990 and 1991. Johnson was a four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection during her playing days and earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors in 1995 and 1996. The Lady Techsters posted a 116-17 record during her four years including a trip to the national championship game in 1993-94. During her junior year, Johnson became only the sec-
ond player since Pam Kelly to lead the team in scoring for three straight seasons. The Coushatta, La., native still remains in the Tech record books, ranking No. 5 in points (1,960), No. 9 in scoring average (15.0), No. 6 in field goals made (793). Johnson - whose jersey is retired - recently became only the seventh player in WNBA history to score 4,000 career points, and has played 12 seasons in the WNBA. She was enshrined in the Louisiana Tech HOF in 2007. Debra Williams (1993-96) Kodak Year(s): 1996 Explosive. The perfect adjective to describe former Louisiana Tech great Debra Williams whose offensive moves became legendary around the Thomas Assembly Center during her playing days in the mid-90s. The 5-foot8-inch guard was blessed with talent and used it to her benefit as she teamed with Vickie Johnson to form the best one-two punch in women’s basketball during the time. Williams could hurt the opponent in a number of ways as her feathery touch from the three-point line was almost as deadly as her ability to take her defender off the dribble. The Houston, Texas, native earned All-Sun Belt Conference accolades three times and capped off her career with the Kodak honor in 1996. Williams earned the most valuable player award at the 1995 Sun Belt Conference Tournament as well as the Midwest Regional Tournament. One of the top three-point threats in Tech history, Williams ended her playing days as the Lady Techsters all-time leader in treys. Currently, she ranks No. 11 in points (1,749), No. 3 in three-pointers made (136) and attempted (378), No. 7 in field goals attempted (1,574) and No. 10 in three-point field goal percentage (34.0). Williams played for the Portland Power of the American Basketball League until 1998 when the league folded.
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Amanda Wilson (1996-99) Kodak Year(s): 1999
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If ever a player possessed self-confidence, Louisiana Tech’s Amanda Wilson was the one. After a stellar prep career at S h r e v e p o rt ’s Evangel High School, Wilson made the easy decision to sign with the Lady Techsters and make
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