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 87 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 47 years. While we have to wait 1 more year until the 2024 Olympics in Paris, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will fill the void by interviewing as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible. We continue our coverage by chatting with Andrea Lloyd about winning a gold medal in 1988 and being inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
You were born in Idaho: what made you choose Texas for college? I also spent a good deal of my childhood in Alaska because my dad worked up there. 1 of my grandparents was from the Denton, TX area so I had at least 1 connection to that state. I remember sitting in my living room reviewing letters containing scholarship offers: I was going to set aside the 1 from Texas but my mom said that I HAD to open that 1! I chose them because they were far away from home and I knew that they would challenge me.
You went 125-8 while playing for Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt: what made her such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? I was just going over those 8 games in my mind the other day! Jody was demanding/gracious and knew what she wanted from us on the court. The core of her team was players from the state of Texas. It was such an elite program so I was fortunate to have tremendous teammates. Every single day we did the same thing because we were determined to out-work and out-defend our opponents. Jody was the perfect fit for the school and is a big part of women’s basketball history. She was a huge disciplinarian, which caused us to demand a lot out of ourselves.
You are 6’2”: how much of an advantage was your size on the court? Absolutely! I grew up mostly playing against guys. At 6’2” I was apparently not supposed to be dribbling…but I wanted to get the most playing time possible so I did whatever I needed to do to get extra minutes. It was unusual back then to have someone my size who could handle the ball. When I was young I did a lot of tryouts/camps on the West Coast. I remember rebounding the ball 1 day and dribbling down the court when my 6’2” teammate (and future Olympic teammate) Cindy Brown screamed at me to pass the ball to a guard!
As a junior you helped lead the Longhorns to the 1st undefeated season in NCAA history: how were you able to beat a USC squad (featuring Cheryl Miller/Cynthia Cooper) by 16 PTS in the 1986 NCAA title game? We had a special team that year. We were ranked #1 during my freshman year but had several injuries, and then in my sophomore year we got upset by Western Kentucky on a last-second shot. We had a lot of pain after losing in each of the previous 2 tourneys so we had a real sense of urgency in 1986 and would not be denied.
You entered the 1987 Final 4 as the #1 team in the nation and were playing on your home court with more than 15,000 fans in attendance (the largest crowd in the history of the sport): could you tell at the time that Louisiana Tech G Teresa Weatherspoon (who scored 19 PTS and set a Final 4 record with 11 AST) was going to become a superstar, and did she remind you of the final score when she became your Olympic teammate the following year?! I do not think she reminded me of the score. We knew that she was a star back then: she was the “head of the beast” and an amazing competitor. I was pretty quiet at the time but maybe some of my other teammates got that smack-talk treatment.
You played for team USA at the 1988 Olympics: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? I never imagined that I would play in the Olympics while growing up on a farm in Idaho so it was just an honor. I was 1 of the last cuts on the 1984 team when I was just 17 years old so I did not want that to happen to me again. We had a terrific team led by an amazing woman in Kay Yow: she brought all of us together over the course of 2 weeks and built our chemistry. She spent a lot of time on team-building so I have a lot of great memories of getting to know the other players really well. The entire McConnell family was with us in South Korea to support Suzie: I had never been around that kind of a group before. It was pretty cool as a 21-year old: I still have boxes of stuff that we received from our sponsors! We did not have cell phones back then so we got to spend a lot of time together on the bus rides.
After spending almost a decade playing professionally in Italy you spent a few years in the ABL/WNBA: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? Overseas they use a club system so you could end up playing with teammates who ranged from ages 14-40. After a game the teenagers would go do homework while the older veterans would go smoke a cigarette! What could be better than being paid to play a game you love? The ABL had a traditional season and felt more like basketball. The WNBA had back-to-back games where we sat in middle seats on commercial flights so it was not as fulfilling.
You won championships at the high school/college/pro/Olympic levels: what is the secret to being a winner? Surround yourself with great people and never be afraid to be challenged. Our NCAA title team would not back down an inch even during practice. Do not be threatened by other people’s success because when you are on a team you do it all together. You need a system that has a specific goal that everyone keeps their eyes on.
After retiring from basketball you became a TV analyst: how do you like it, and what do you want to do in the future? I learned that a “normal” job is just not something I am cut out for. I am a task-oriented person and I love going to practice and talking about the game. It is really fun to continue to teach people and showcase the current amazing athletes. My husband retired last year so we do the RV thing. I have changed paths many times because when you have a 7-month gig you always have other opportunities that come along.
In 2007 you were named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It feels like a long time ago! It really brought into focus all of the people who supported me through the years. It is not just about you because you stand on the shoulders of so many great administrators/teammates. I remember when Jody called me to tell me about it: I never thought about those kinds of things growing up so I was completely stunned.