FIRST WOMEN'S GOODWILL GAMES -- 1986

  • Date:
    Jun 10, 2010

Moscow, Soviet Union - July 5-10, 1986


Although the women's World Championship was slated for later in the summer, the inaugural Goodwill Games competition was significant in international basketball for two reasons -- It was the first major event in 1986, and it offered the first match-up between the USA and the USSR since the two teams had met in the 1983 World Championship gold medal game.

1986 Goodwill Games Team

1986 USA Women's Goodwill Games Team



1986 USA RESULTS (5-0)
USA 72 Yugoslavia 53
USA 91 Brazil 70
USA 78 Czechoslovakia 70
USA 67 Bulgaria 58
USA 83 USSR 60

1986 GOODWILL GAMES FINAL STANDINGS

1. United States (5-0)
2. Soviet Union (4-1)
3. Brazil (3-2)
4. Bulgaria (2-3)
5. Yugoslavia (1-4)
6. Czechoslovakia (0-5)

Assembling a team of standout collegians, head coach Kay Yow, who two years later would direct the U.S. to the gold in the 1988 Olympic Games, led her squad to Moscow with high hopes of earning the gold.

Opening against Yugoslavia, the U.S. served notice to the rest of the field that it was a serious threat to upend the status quo of women's basketball. Behind 19 points and nine rebounds from Cheryl Miller, the U.S. crushed Yugoslavia 72-53.

Clashing against Brazil the following day, the U.S. continued on its mission as the Americans handed Brazil a convincing 91-70 setback. Miller again led the USA squad, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds, while international veteran Anne Donovan responded with 20 points and eight rebounds and Teresa Edwards added 18 points.

Facing Czechoslovakia next, the USA held on to earn a 78-70 victory and remain undefeated. Miller paced the American attack with 20 points, while Donovan and Katrina McClain accounted for 15 and 12 points each.

Facing a solid team from Bulgaria in the semifinals, the USA once again persevered for a 67-58 victory as Edwards led the U.S. with 21 points and Miller tossed in 20 points.

Standing 4-0, the U.S. women faced the also undefeated Soviet Union women in a historic contest. The Soviet women, who had dominated international basketball for nearly three decades, had compiled an incredible 152-2 record in major international competitions (Olympics, World Championships and European Championships). Their two losses were to Bulgaria in the 1958 European Championship and to the U.S. in the 1957 World Championship, and they had never lost a game in the Soviet Union! Making matters worse, the Soviet's also had the decades' most dominant player, 7-foot-2 Ivilana Semenova.

A capacity crowd of 7,000 filled Druzhba Sports Center for the game and with 9:25 left in the opening half the Soviets led 21-19. But the U.S. defense came to life and the Americans went on a 20-4 scoring rampage to take command 39-25 at halftime. The Soviets never recovered as the USA sailed to the remarkable 83-60 victory. Miller led the balanced USA attack with 18 points, McClain added 17 and Edwards had 13.

'This is even better than the Olympics in '84,' said Miller. 'This is beating the Russians in Russia, I've waited along time for this.'

 

1986 USA Women's Goodwill Games Roster

NAME

POS

HGT

WGT

AGE

SCHOOL HOMETOWN
Cindy Brown

F

6-1

155

21

Long Beach State Portland, OR
Cynthia Cooper

G

5-10

150

23

Southern California Los Angeles, CA
Clarissa Davis

F

6-1

160

18

Texas San Antonio, TX
Anne Donovan

C

6-8

178

25

Old Dominion Ridgewood, NJ
Teresa Edwards

G

5-11

150

22

Georgia Cairo, GA
Kamie Ethridge

G

5-5

125

22

Texas Austin, TX
Jennifer Gillom

C/F

6-3

178

21

Mississippi Abbeville, MS
Fran Harris

G/F

6-0

158

21

Texas Dallas, TX
Katrina McClain

F

6-2

180

20

Georgia Charleston, SC
Cheryl Miller

F

6-3

150

22

Southern California Riverside, CA
Teresa Weatherspoon

G

5-8

160

20

Louisiana Tech Pineland, TX
HEAD COACH: Kay Yow, North Carolina State University
ASSISTANT COACH: Sylvia Hatchell, Francis Marion College (SC)
ASST. COACH: Marianne Stanley, Old Dominion University (VA)
MANAGER: Barbara Gill, Johnson County Community College (KS)
TEAM PHYSICIAN: Michael Smith, Jr., St. Petersburg, FL
ATHLETIC TRAINER: Karen Toburen, University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse

1986 USA Women's Goodwill Games Cumulative Statistics

NAME G
FGM-FGA
PCT
3PM-3PA
PCT
FTM-FTA
PCT
REB/AVG
PTS/AVG
AT
BK
ST
Miller 5
35- 73
.479
0- 0
.000
33- 45
.733
48/ 9.6
103/ 20.6
12
1
13
Edwards 5
30- 55
.545
1- 2
.500
7- 12
.583
9/ 2.5
70/ 14.0
15
1
13
Donovan 5
21- 33
.636
0- 0
.000
13- 14
.929
49/ 9.8
55/ 11.0
3
12
4
McClain 5
24- 40
.600
0- 0
.000
7- 13
.538
43/ 8.6
55/ 11.0
9
4
6
Harris 5
9- 32
.281
0- 0
.000
9- 10
.900
11/ 2.2
27/ 5.4
6
0
1
Brown 5
7- 16
.438
0- 0
.000
8- 10
.800
21/ 4.2
22/ 4.4
4
2
3
Davis 5
6- 20
.300
0- 0
.000
4- 8
.500
13/ 2.6
16/ 3.2
2
0
4
Ethridge 5
7- 20
.350
0- 0
.000
1- 2
.500
13/ 2.6
15/ 3.0
13
1
10
Gillom 5
3- 17
.176
0- 0
.000
4- 9
.444
12/ 2.4
10/ 2.0
1
0
2
Cooper 5
4- 12
.333
0- 1
.000
2- 4
.500
6/ 1.2
10/ 2.0
3
0
3
Weatherspoon 5
2- 6
.333
0- 0
.000
4- 4
1.000
4/ 0.8
8/ 1.6
7
0
3
USA 5
148-324
.457
1- 3
.333
92-131
.702
229/ 45.8
391/ 78.2
75
21
62
OPP. 5
110-300
.367
26- 59
.441
65-113
.575
128 /25.6
311/ 62.2
23
17
41


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