Katrina McClain

Katrina McClain (born September 19, 1965) is a retired American basketball player.

She played for the University of Georgia, as well as many USA Basketball teams including three Olympic teams.

McClain was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

McClain grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, where she attended St. Andrews High School.

In her senior year, she helped lead the team to a 30–0 record, including a state championship.

The Soviet team had a 152–2 record in major international competition over the prior three decades, including an 84–82 win over the US in the 1983 World Championships.

The Soviets held the early edge, leading 21–19 at one time, before the USA went on a scoring run to take a large lead they would never relinquish.

The final score was 83–60 in favor of the US, earning the gold medal for the USA squad.

McClain was the second leading scorer in the finals with 17 points, behind only Cheryl Miller with 18.

For the entire event, McClain averaged eleven points, tied for third leading scorer with Anne Donovan.

In NCAA Tournament games, she holds the record for best field goal shooting percentage, hitting 60 of her 84 attempts in the 12 games she played (1984–1987).

The team earned invitations to the NCAA Tournament every year in each of her four years, reaching the Sweet Sixteen twice, the Elite Eight once, and finishing as the national runner up in 1985.

McClain is the holder of several single season records that still stand:

Over her four-year career, she hit 62% of her field goal attempts, a school record.

In the 1985 NCAA semi-final game against Western Kentucky, she hit 10 of 12 field goal attempts, a record field goal percentage for NCAA semi-final games.

Georgia compiled a record of 116–15 while McClain was on the team.

She ranks second on Georgia’s all-time career charts with 2,195 points (17.6 ppg) and 1,193 rebounds (9.5).

Her jersey number (#32) was retired, making one of only three Lady Bulldogs to receive that honor.

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McClain was a member of eleven USA basketball teams.

She holds several records in international competitions including the USA Olympic record for rebounds (66) in a single competition and the USA Goodwill Games competition record for rebounds (54).

While a sophomore at Georgia, McClain was selected for the team to represent the US at the 1985 World University Games, held in Kobe, Japan.

McClain was the leading scorer in the first three games, including a 38-point output in the first game against the People's Republic of Korea, along with 13 rebounds.

She would end up leading the team in scoring, with 17 points per game, rebounding, with almost eight per game and blocks with eleven.

The team ended up with a 5–1 record, losing to the USSR in the title match.

The USA team was down by 18 points at one time, fought back to close the margin, but ended up losing 87–81, to end up with the silver medal.

McClain began her career at the University of Georgia, where she was a two-time All-American (1986, 1987) and won varsity letters all four years.

In her freshman year, she was named to the Freshman All-American team, and was the first ever SEC Freshman of the year.

McClain was selected to represent the US at the inaugural Goodwill Games, held in Moscow in July 1986.

North Carolina State's Kay Yow served as head coach.

The team opened up with a 72–53 of Yugoslavia, and followed that with a 21-point win over Brazil 91–70.

The third game was against Czechoslovakia and would be much closer.

McClain was one of the scoring leaders in this game, scoring 12 points to help the US to a 78–70 victory.

The USA faced Bulgaria in the semi-final match up, and again won, this time 67–58.

This set up the final against the Soviet Union, led by 7-foot-2 Ivilana Semenova, considered the most dominant player in the world.

McClain continued to represent the US with National team at the 1986 World Championship, held in Moscow, a month after the Goodwill games in Moscow.

The USA team was even more dominant this time.

The early games were won easily, and the semifinal against Canada, while the closest game for the USA so far, ended up an 82–59 victory.

She went on to become the National Player of the Year in 1987.

While she was at Georgia, the team won the SEC twice.