The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 16 gold medals in the 19 tournaments they have participated in during the past 85 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 45 years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues his coverage by chatting with Carolyn “CJ” Young about becoming the greatest scorer in ABL history and winning a bronze medal.
You were born/raised in Mississippi: what made you choose Auburn? I fell in love with the school around 8th or 9th grade after attending a camp there with Assistant coach Carol Ross. She was so genuine and we hit it off from the start.
You played for Hall of Fame coach Joe Ciampi: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is a great hard-nosed guy who told us exactly what we were going to do. Basketball is a teaching school that involves a lot of life lessons: discipline, hard work, etc. Winning a title does not happen every time but we got close several years in a row.
You made the NCAA tourney title game in 1989 and 1990 and lost both times: what was it like to face the 2 winningest female coaches in college basketball history (Pat Summitt/Tara VanDerveer) with a championship on the line? They are 2 of the greats. It was a dogfight both times involving teams/coaches that were parts of dynasties. It was a heartbreaker to get there and lose: it would have been nice to get 1 championship.
In 1990 you were named SEC tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? I was 1 of those players who wanted the ball when the game was on the line. Some people do not like that situation but all I did in college was books and basketball. I was a bulldog who wanted to win by any means necessary.
In the summer of 1992 you played for team USA at the Olympics: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a bronze medal? It was an a-ha moment: I was 1 of 12 people representing an entire country. It still gives me chills to think about it and it was 1 of the greatest things I have ever been a part of. Gold is much better but I was still happy to win the bronze medal.
1 of your Olympic teammates was your college teammate Vickie Orr: how special was it for you 2 to share that experience together? It was awesome. Vickie is a great person/player and is arguably 1 of the best players in Auburn history.
The US women’s team just won their 7th straight Olympic gold medal earlier this month: do you think they will ever lose again? Never say never. I hope we do not…but the men never thought they would lose after getting NBA players. The world is catching up but right now we are the cream of the crop and I do not see us losing anytime soon. Hard work is undefeated!
You later played in the ABL for the New England Blizzard and set a league record with 21.5 career PPG: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Having that bulldog mentality. I was a pretty good defender as well but offense was my go-to skill. I am 52 years old and have 4 kids but still love running up and down the floor.
Your daughter Audia recently committed to Auburn, your daughter Ariel plays for North Carolina, and your husband CY made the NCAA tourney as a player at Georgia Southern: who is the best athlete in the family? That would be me! It is great to see my baby girl going to Auburn. My husband was a great player and still plays in a church league. We are a basketball family through and through even though we did not force it on our kids: they just fell in love with it.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I guess as an athlete who gave it all with blood/sweat/tears. I never gave up, was honest/down to earth, and was a great teammate/person. I think that I would be okay with that.