By R.L. Bynum
With one legendary shot, Charlotte Smith cemented her spot in Carolina women’s basketball history, but not without some anxious moments and confusion coming out of the huddle.
The Tar Heels trailed Louisiana Tech by two points in the 1994 NCAA championship game in Richmond with 0.7 of a second left. In the huddle, legendary Hall of Fame coach Sylvia Hatchell diagrammed a play for Smith — one of the most decorated players in program history — to win it with a 3-pointer.
“I figured if Coach Hatchell believed in me and felt like we had an opportunity to win, then I’ve got to have some guts and go out there and take the shot,” said Smith, one of about 90 UNC women’s basketball alums expected at the Tar Heels’ 4 p.m. game Sunday against Virginia on Alumni Day, with the spotlight on the 30th anniversary of her championship team
There was only one problem in her mind in that high-pressure moment. What was that play again?
“I was so nervous that I completely spaced out and, fortunately, Sylvia Crawley was standing there as we were entering back onto the court,” said Smith, in her 13th season as Elon’s head coach. “ ‘Sylvia, I forgot the play. What are we running?’ She reminded me of what we were running; the rest is pretty much history.”
The ball slithered through the net for Smith’s only 3-pointer of the season, UNC won 60–59, and the Tar Heels (33–2) were national champions on a memorable Sunday afternoon that fans, players and coaches will never forget. Smith earned Most Outstanding Player after collecting with 20 points and 23 rebounds in the championship game.
Hatchell set up a diagonal screen for star Tonya Sampson. Smith was positioned near inbounds passer Stephanie Lawrence to the left of the lane. Three Louisiana Tech players converged on Sampson, and Smith dashed to the right wing and was wide open.
“Miscommunications between the La. Tech players defensively, and I was able to just backpedal out scot-free,” Smith said.
Lawrence slung a pass to a wide-open Smith, who became the second No. 23 to hit a huge shot in a national championship game. Like Michael Jordan, Smith’s No. 23 is also retired. The only other Carolina women’s player with a retired number is Ivory Latta.
Smith, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, had missed her first two perimeter shots in that game and knew she was far from the Tar Heels’ best perimeter shooter. That’s why she was surprised that Hatchell picked her to take a shot that would lead to either a championship or heartbreak.
“When she said that I was gonna take the shot, my heart really sank because it’s a lot of pressure — national championship game, everything hanging in the balance off of a shot,” said Smith, admitting that she’d never been more nervous in a game.
“I’d never been in a situation where I had to take a game-winning shot,” she said. “And it’s not just any game, it was a national championship, for goodness’ sake. So, it was a lot of pressure … a lot of pressure. People can say how they would respond in that moment, but you don’t really know until you’re in that moment.”
Years later, Smith still wasn’t sure why Hatchell picked her to take the shot. When they were traveling together when Hatchell was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Smith asked.
“She said it was divine intervention, so I’m going with that,” Smith said.
It was quite a reprieve for the Tar Heels since they figured the game was lost.
After Pam Thomas gave Louisiana Tech a two-point lead with 15.5 seconds left, UNC didn’t call a timeout and Sampson missed a driving 12-foot jumper. After a scramble, a held ball was called with 0.7 of a second left, and fortunately for the Tar Heels, they had the possession arrow.
“I was thinking it was over,” Smith said. “I saw point seven left on the clock, I was thinking, ‘There’s no way we can score with point-seven seconds.’ The whole time, I’m thinking it’s over.”
It didn’t look good for Carolina when Louisiana Tech led by five with 5:06 left. But Smith scored five consecutive points to tie it at 53.
Hatchell initially called for a lob to Crawley, but the Lady Techsters’ defensive setup led Lawrence to call a timeout. During the second timeout, Hatchell decided to go for the win instead of the tie.
The win completed a huge turnaround for the UNC program, which finished 12–16 and last in the ACC the season before Smith arrived.
“We always believed in us. Even when we were in the bottom of the barrel,” said Smith, who was ACC Rookie of the Year in 1992 as a freshman and ESPN National Player of the Year in 1995 as a senior. “We knew if we put in the work that we would eventually see the results.”
Sunday will be busy for Smith, whose Elon team plays a 1 p.m. home game against William & Mary, so she’ll likely arrive at Carmichael Arena early in the Tar Heels’ game against the Cavaliers. She looks forward to seeing all of her teammates, although they talk often. Hatchell will also be at the game.
The championship was memorable, but Smith will never forget her teammates on that team.
“We love to have fun,” Smith said. “There were a lot of players that were really committed in their faith walk. So I remember lots of Bible study and devotional time together. And remember our fearless leader Coach Hatchell. She had a vision to create a national championship program, and she did that in a very short window.”
Smith said that the team, which included future Olympic star Marion Jones, had plenty of chemistry from the start of that season.
“My fondest memories are just that it’s a great group of women who I still stay in close contact with to this day,” Smith said. “When I think about that team, I think about the great job that Coach Hatchell did. A great group of people who genuinely cared about each other and loved each other.”
That love will be on display Sunday at Carmichael Arena.
Top photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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