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Griffith savors Hall induction she never expected

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Yolanda Griffith savored a crowning achievement that she’d never anticipated.

“Never ever in my wildest dreams did I see my journey leading me to the doorsteps of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame,” the two-time Olympic gold medal winner said Saturday during an emotional induction speech. “I am honored and truly excited to be here.”

Griffith was part of a Hall of Fame induction class that also included Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn, former Iowa star Michelle Edwards, broadcaster Mimi Griffin, former Maryland player Jasmina Perazic and former Southern Illinois women’s athletic director Charlotte West. The ceremony also featured a salute to the 1976 U.S. Olympic team as “trailblazers of the game.”

Griffith won gold medals with the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic teams and also helped the Sacramento Monarchs win the 2005 WNBA championship. She was the most valuable player of the 2005 WNBA Finals.

“I owe a lot to the game of basketball,” Griffith said. “It helped me in so many ways. As a young girl, I struggled with my height, I was teased about it. But basketball gave me my confidence. When I lost my mother at the age of 15, basketball became everything, my escape, my therapy.”

All three players inducted Saturday remain involved in the game as college coaches. Perazic is preparing for her first season as head coach of Division II program Georgian Court in Lakewood, New Jersey. Griffith is an assistant at Lafayette and Edwards is director of basketball operations at Rutgers.

Perazic played on three Atlantic Coast Conference championship teams and helped Maryland get to a regional final or beyond each of her four years. Perazic, who is from Serbia, ended her induction speech by delivering a message to Serbian basketball players in their native language.

Edwards played five seasons in the WNBA and nine seasons in Europe after helping Iowa win two Big Ten championships.

They’d love to approach the coaching success enjoyed by the 67-year-old Dunn, who is retiring at the end of this WNBA season.

Dunn went 447-257 in a 25-year college head coaching career that included stops at Austin Peay, Mississippi, Miami and Purdue. She owns a pro record of 202-182 with the ABL’s Portland Power (1996-98) and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm (2000-02) and Fever (2008-present). She led Indiana to the 2012 WNBA title.

During her induction speech, Dunn quoted from the Helen Reddy song “I Am Woman,” which played as she finished her presentation. Dunn cited Billie Jean King’s 1973 tennis victory over Bobby Riggs as an inspiration.

“What an empowering moment for women, not just women in sport, but all women,” Dunn said. “Yes, I am woman. Hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore. No one’s ever going to keep us down again.”

Dunn vowed to remain active in basketball even after retiring from coaching, though she also plans to devote energy to progressive causes such as equal pay for equal work, gay rights, domestic violence prevention and anti-bullying campaigns. Dunn also said she would do everything in her power to get a woman into the White House.

“I’m going to be mentoring and consulting college coaches, and I know I won’t be bored, (but) I have other projects and causes that I’m truly passionate about,” Dunn said.

Griffin was ESPN’s primary women’s basketball analyst from 1983-99 and was the first woman to work as a color analyst for an NCAA men’s tournament game. West, recognized as a Title IX pioneer, worked as the Southern Illinois women’s athletic director from 1960-86.

The 1976 U.S. Olympic team won the silver medal with a roster that included Nancy Lieberman, Pat Summitt and Ann Meyers Drysdale. Summitt was at the induction ceremony Saturday, which coincided with her 62nd birthday.

“That we can come back together 40 years later, and that bond is still there, I think that speaks volumes for what this kind of experience does for you,” said Billie Moore, the coach of the 1976 U.S. Olympic team.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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