Sylvia Crawley

Sylvia Crawley Spann ( Crawley; born September 27, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. She played for the Colorado Xplosion and Portland Power of the American Basketball League (ABL) and the Portland Fire and San Antonio Silver Stars of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was the head women's basketball coach of the Ohio Bobcats and Boston College Eagles. She played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Playing career After starring at Steubenville High School, Crawley played collegiate basketball for the women's basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). She was a member of the UNC's NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship team in 1994, her senior season.

After graduation from UNC, Crawley played for the Portland Power and Colorado Xplosion of the American Basketball League (ABL). She won the ABL's slam dunk contest in 1998 with a blindfolded dunk and a second dunk.

After the ABL folded due to financial problems, she was selected by the Portland Fire, and played with them for three seasons. When the Fire folded, Crawley was selected by the Indiana Fever during the WNBA's dispersal draft in April 2003. But prior to the start of the 2003 season, the Fever traded Crawley and a rookie player Gwen Jackson to the San Antonio Silver Stars, in exchange for Natalie Williams and Coretta Brown.

Crawley spent that one season with the Silver Stars in 2003, mostly in a reserve role, that was marred when she suffered a sprained neck injury after a collision with Washington Mystics player Tonya Washington while chasing for a loose ball.

Shortly before the 2004 WNBA season began, Crawley announced her retirement from basketball. But just prior to the start of the 2006 season, Crawley came out of retirement and signed a contract to return to the Silver Stars for the season. However, the day before the season started, the Silver Stars waived her from the training camp roster.

North Carolina statistics Source

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

USA Basketball Crawley was named to the team representing the USA at the 1995 Pan American Games, however, only four teams committed to participate, so the event was cancelled. In her first season at the Heights, Sylvia led the Eagles to a 23–12 record and an appearance in the WNIT Final Four. On March 15, 2012, Crawley announced her resignation from the BC head coaching job, citing an unspecified medical issue.

After the departure of Mickie DeMoss, the Indiana Fever and head coach Lin Dunn named Crawley as an assistant coach with the team.

Crawley served as an assistant coach with her alma mater, the University of North Carolina from 2016 until 2019, when Sylvia Hatchell retired.

Head coaching record