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The next guest on Sports Legends of the Carolinas is former UNC Lady Tar Heel Charlotte Smith. Smith hit arguably the greatest game winning shot in Women’s NCAA Championship history. The shot lifted the Tar Heels over Louisiana Tech in 1994.
By Jeff Siner / The Charlotte Observer
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Let's go back to that National Championship moment Set it up for us that team Was extremely talented but I'm sure People UNC had never won a national Championship on the women's level before Take us through that season a little bit Up to that Pinnacle where you hit that Shot to win the championship well it Started just from the words of Affirmation that we spoke every day in Practice national champions and I mean If you hear that every single day in Practice it has to sink in it has to Sink in and you have to believe we went From being The worst to first by simply speaking it Into existence and putting the work in Fast forward to Richmond you know for us It's all about respect at that moment It's about respect because we're Thinking about our seating the game is Nip and Tuck is back and forth and I'm Like oh my gosh are we gonna ever pull Away and big moment Pam Thomas with Under a minute in the game maybe even 15 Seconds hits a baseline jumper against The zone Tiny Sampson gets a rebound we come down To court we launch up a shot it's Nothing Marion Jones and I are Scrambling on the floor for the loose Ball and I remember the whistle being Blown and my first instinct was to look
Up at the shot clock And I remember saying 0.7 seconds and I'm thinking oh my gosh my heart's sank In that moment because I thought it was Over what can you do in point seven Seconds First play We call we end up having to Call a timeout it was a live play for Sylvia Crowley they had that scouted out Pretty well so that was covered the next Play was we're going for the win and not The tie and that's the moment where the Fear set in and I'm wondering do I have What it takes for this big moment and It's like you don't have time to Second-guess yourself She believes in you you got to go out There and get it done I was nervous I Literally forgot the play fortunately Sylvia Crowley you know in that moment Said you know we're running 30s or 40s Whatever the play was and setting this Diagonal screen for you Everybody assumed that we were going for The two-point play they assumed it was Going to Tanya Sampson because she was a Go-to player on our team I find myself All by myself Behind the three-point line and all I Can remember is just thinking dear God Please Let this shot go in I just remember Being stormed by the entire bench the Cheerleaders next thing I know I'm on
The ground Tanya Sampson is down Pressing me in the ground I'm like oh Gosh and I'm trying to protect myself And keep myself from being smothered Tears tears of joy tears of relief that The shot went in and just a sense of Gratification knowing that wow it took Three years to go from the worst to the First
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