Angie Braziel

ANGIE BRAZIEL – INDUCTED 2011 

Angie Braziel was an outstanding basketball player for the South Plains College Lady Texans under former coach and NJCAA Hall of Famer Lyndon Hardin during the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons.

During her sophomore campaign, Braziel led the Lady Texans to a record of 26 wins and only 5 losses and a spot in the Region 5 semifinal game. Braziel was a starter in 29 of the 30 games she played and for the season led the Lady Texans in scoring (15.5), rebounding (9.1), blocks (1.9), and steals (2.5). The 6-foot-2-inch post from Odessa even ranked fourth on the squad in assists (2.2). For her efforts, Braziel was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American second team. The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Kodak honored her as an All-American as well.

Upon completing her eligibility at South Plains College, Braziel moved east and took her talents to Texas Tech University, where she helped the Lady Raiders to consecutive Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships, as well as appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. As a senior, Braziel started every game for the Lady Raiders during a season in which they finished with a 30–4 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament before falling to Rutgers. As of the 2012 season, the Lady Raiders have not experienced another 30-win season since the 1998–1999 campaign.

Braziel was named Most Valuable Player of the Big 12 tournament in 1999, as well as the Big 12 Player of the Year after leading the Lady Raiders with 20 points and nearly nine rebounds per game. Braziel was also named to four All-American teams for the 1998–99 season by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the Associated Press, Women’s Basketball Journal, and the Women’s Basketball News Service. Entering the 2011–12 academic year, Braziel still ranks highly in several single-season Lady Raider categories, including fifth with 690 points in 1998–99, third in field goals made, and fifth in blocked shots.

Braziel’s success at both South Plains and Texas Tech landed her an opportunity to play at the highest level when she was drafted by the Charlotte Sting of the WNBA following the 1998–99 NCAA season. Although injuries forced her into retirement from the league after only three years, Braziel has remained heavily involved in the sport, with stints as an assistant junior high and high school coach, and is now the head coach of the Odessa Permian High School girls’ basketball team.