January 11, 2005

Olympia Scott-Richardson

Lindsay Drury

GENEVA, N.Y.—William Smith Director of Athletics Susan Bassett announced the promotion of Interim Head Coach Olympia Scott-Richardson to head coach of the Heron basketball team. Bassett also announced the promotion of intern assistant coach Lindsay Drury to full assistant coach.

Scott-Richardson has directed the Herons to a 4-4 record heading into this weekend’s Liberty League opener at St. Lawrence, despite inheriting a roster devoid of veteran players—William Smith returned just five players from the 2003-04 squad that featured only one senior and went 13-13.

A graduate of Stanford University and a current member of the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting, Scott-Richardson was hired on an interim basis in September 2004. She will continue her playing career with Drury handling recruiting duties during the WNBA’s season, which runs from May until August.

“I’m confident that Olympia Scott-Richardson is the right person and the best person for the William Smith basketball program at this time,” Bassett said. “Olympia has had a very positive effect on the Colleges’ community and the Geneva community at-large.”

A veteran of six seasons in the WNBA, she was selected in the second round (11th overall) by the Utah Starzz in 1998. During the 1999 season, Scott-Richardson was traded to the Detroit Shock, where she played parts of two seasons, taking a brief time out for the birth of her daughter, BreAzia.

Scott-Richardson enjoyed her greatest playing success during the 2001 and 2002 seasons as a member of the Indiana Fever. She averaged 9.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg in 63 games with the Fever, before losing the 2003 season to a knee injury. Scott-Richardson played in 34 games during the 2004 season with the Sting. A team captain in both Detroit and Indiana, she was the defensive captain for Charlotte and was among the league leaders in blocks per 40 minutes this season.

A former assistant coach at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., Scott-Richardson has coached AAU basketball, as well as numerous camps and clinics. In 2002, she started her own business, Olympia Hoops, which provides a wide-range of services for kids and families, including basketball camps and clinics, motivational speeches, personal fitness training and parenting seminars.

“We’re building a program that I honestly believe will be a powerhouse in the future, and it begins now, each and every day in practice,” Scott-Richardson said.

With her players looking on, newly promoted Head Coach Olympia Scott-Richardson addresses the media. (Photo by Greg Cotterill)

A 1998 graduate of Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, Scott-Richardson was a two-time All-Pac 10 first-team selection. She helped the Cardinal to three Final Four appearances and four Pac 10 championships. Following her senior year with the Cardinal, Scott-Richardson was named both an Associated Press honorable mention All-American and a Kodak All-Region selection.

A native of Los Angeles, Scott-Richardson was born on August 5, 1976, the final day of the Montreal Olympics, hence her first name.

Drury is in her second season with the William Smith basketball program. The 2001 graduate of Kalamazoo College has agreed to return for the 2005-06 season.

A two-time All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) selection, Drury is one of the top players in Hornet history. She graduated 11th on the school’s career scoring list with 718 points, and was just the fourth player to record more than 500 rebounds (505). Drury averaged 7.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg, playing in 101 contests. She served as a team captain during both her junior and senior seasons.

Back to William Smith Basketball