North Carolina
Hatchell: It warms my heart to hear from the players on that '94 team
Former UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell says April 3rd is always a special day for her, as she says members of the 1994 National Championship team always get in touch with her.
Sylvia Just talk Talk to me about this weekend I heard that you heard from a ton of former players obviously Ah huge landmark at the University of North Carolina that you are a part of Yes I did because they're all like daughters To me it was the 26 anniversary of the national championship team And uh I tell you it's just warms my heart when I hear I hear from him because they've all gone out and done so well Several of them are coaching but reform or in college coaching you know So but they all keep up with me And you know that is just a memory You know my kids Charlotte all the time Charlotte Smith We talked about that once a week probably And I tell her all the time that she changed my life and she did take me through that 0.7 seconds on the clock What's going through your mind Well you know I still believe that we could win you know And I think our players did to uh you know we had the time out And you know what I was standing on the side with my coach is talking and I mean it's sort of like I got this divine inspiration and I just turned from my coaches and win the huddle and I started talking to the team and I said Okay we're going to run in with our 30 Siri's play We're gonna run our thirties play and all And I said It's Charlotte Instead of you curling around to the baseline and taking the shot I said Move out behind the three I said We're going for the win and not the time And so you know we did I mean we went for the win and not the time because we were down by two points So uh gambles But it paid off When you think of that moment in the arena How would you describe that Well it was the Final Four and then you know national championship And we were down there to the very end The place was just it was just unbelievable that energy in there but ah you know again But we have 7/10 of a second you know and I still believe we can win And our kids did too Uh you know so it it was Easter Sunday It was Easter Sunday that we won the national championship 7/10 of a second on the clock When you know seven's a biblical number you know and I tell people all the time I said Look how we won the national championship No one ever expected that with 7/10 of a second on the clock It's the second greatest thing that's ever happened on Easter And so it was because it was like a miracle And to this day it's still hard to believe a lot of big names on that team that we still hear about now What was it about that team that made them special that made them the team to win it The chemistry that they had I mean that is so important with any team any group organization business church home whatever the chemistry you know we had great athletes Marion Jones was a freshman but she was our point guard What a leader I mean the herd leadership abilities were incredible And then everybody just bought in Everybody believed and they didn't care who scored as long as we want You know it was such a great group of camaraderie in chemistry and just believing in each other It was easy for me to coach him because you know they were all just ah the mentality that they had And that camaraderie was just I mean you used you just can't define you and you just can't put a price tag on it Just given what's happened in transpired over the past year Toe Have those calls come in on Saturday from those players What does that just say about you as a coach that um they believe in me and the experiences that they had on the national championship team It changed their life like it changed mine and nothing can ever replace or destroy the love and the feelings that we have for each other The support I told you they're like my daughters and I hear for him all the time not just you know when it's an anniversary but I hear from him constantly and not just the national championship players I hear from all 33 years of players and I hear from him constantly There are constantly writing me notes and calling me and texting me and email me and coming over out here to see me Uh you know they don't know where the key to my house is You know So uh I mean it's like a big family and I love them all dearly And they have been so supportive after 33 years of coaching How much do you miss it I do miss it Ah I miss the relationships with the people because you know that is success success at anything whether it sure business your team your home your school your church or whatever It's about relationships with people And uh you know the relationships that with my former players they're probably stronger now than they've ever been And ah and that's what really success in life is all about I'm good Unless you before was first a C C Team to ever want to write right Yeah And until Maryland one a few years ago Uh for the longest time we were the only team that had won it You know in every year at the Final Four they do the 25 best moments and women's basketball They do a countdown They start with number 25 and as they go down and break down each moment and women's basketball every year Number one is this shot by Charlotte Smith because it is in men or women's basketball of MBA or whatever with that is the greatest shot with the least amount of time on the clock 7/10 of a second down by two points So it is the greatest moment greatest shot in the game of basketball