University of Memphis Athletics
Women's Basketball Back in Action Sunday
Feb 04, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2011
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis women's basketball team (16-6, 5-3 C-USA) is back in action Sunday at FedExForum in a 1:30 p.m. game against a surging East Carolina (10-11, 4-4 C-USA) squad that has won four of their last five games, including three straight to move to just a game behind Memphis in the league standings.
The Sunday afternoon game will also be Memphis' celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Youth in grades K-8 looking for a way to burn some energy before the game are invited to participate in a FREE pregame clinic at Streets Ministries (430 Vance Avenue) from noon to 1 p.m. All clinic participants will then receive free admission to the game. The four-time, Conference USA championship women's soccer team will teach at the clinic, as will student-athletes with the Tiger volleyball program and the Tiger Spirit Squads.
At halftime, the Tigers will honor Betty Booker-Parks, the women's basketball team's first-ever professionally-drafted basketball player and one of the first two female student-athletes to receive a college scholarship at the University of Memphis. Booker-Parks continues to hold the program scoring record of 2,835 points. Following her playing career, the 5-foot-5 guard was drafted by the New Orleans Pride of the Women's Professional Basketball League. She played there before being traded to St. Louis before the league folded. Following her playing career, she went in to coaching, coaching at West Memphis High School before joining her college head coach, Mary Lou Johns, on the sidelines for the University of Memphis. After her stint at then-Memphis State, Booker-Parks coached at White Station High School, where she was named the TSSAA District Coach of the Year six times in volleyball and four times in basketball. She was inducted to the Memphis M Club Hall of Fame in 1985 and in to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
She is currently involved in school administration with the Memphis City Schools. She remained active in sports even while serving in school administration, serving as an official in volleyball and basketball at the high school and collegiate levels.
Sunday will also be Girl Scout Day for the FedExForum event. All pre-registered Girl Scout troops will receive free admission to the game. Troops interested in participating in the event before the evening's Super Bowl festivities can contact Megan MacLeod in marketing at mmcleod1@memphis.edu with a list of troop members' names to receive free admission at the gate.
The first Sunday of the Tigers' Celebration Sundays, the Tigers will also have festivities at the game in honor of Black History Month. Following the game, the team will sign autographs for all fans in the Grand Lobby.
