Sylvia Hatchell reflects on UNC's 1994 national championship
Posted April 6, 2020 5:40 p.m. EDT
Updated April 6, 2020 9:53 p.m. EDT
In life, there are moments that we wish we could freeze in time forever.
For former UNC women's basketball head coach, Sylvia Hatchell, it's UNC's national championship win over Louisiana Tech in 1994.
Hatchell said, "It's the second greatest thing that's ever happened on Easter...It was a miracle! To this day, it's still hard to believe."
With seven-tenths of a second on the clock, Charlotte Smith, who is now the head coach at Elon University, hit a three-pointer that will be forever etched in sports history.
"I said , 'Move out behind the three,'" explained Hatchell. "I said, 'We're going for the win and not the tie.'"
Smith said with a smile, "As a little girl, you're in your backyard or wherever you may be, pretending to hit a game winning shot. So to see that come to fruition on such a big stage it was a very humbling and gratifying feeling."
Hatchell added, "I tell her all of the time that she changed my life."
Hatchell's life took a drastic turn last year when she agreed to resign from UNC after 33 years. An investigation alleged she made a racially insensitive comment and pressured players to play injured.
Still, Hatchell stays in close contact with her former players. The Naismith hall-of-famer receives buckets of snail mail from former Tar Heels on a weekly basis.
"They believe in me," said Hatchell. "Nothing can ever replace or destroy the love and the feelings that we have for each other. They all know where the key to my house is. It's like a big family and I love them all dearly. They have been so supportive.
Smith said, "She's chosen to rise above the ashes and be better for it. I'm going to always love coach Hatchell and I appreciate everything that she's done."
