Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Year: 2011

Shannon MacMillan

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2006  –  South Africa
  • 2010  –  Argentina
  • 2011  –  Guatemala

Shannon enjoyed a career with the US Women’s National team for 12 years; playing in 176 games and scoring 60 goals.

During that time she won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and another gold as an alternate for the 2004 Greece Olympics. She also played a vital role in winning the 1999 Women’s World Cup and followed that up with a third place finish in the 2003 Women’s World Cup. In 2002, Shannon was named the US Soccer female athlete of the year. Shannon was a member of the US Soccer Envoys that conducted clinics in South Africa and Guatemala emphasizing the value of teamwork, respect, and leadership. In 2016, Shannon was elected to the US Soccer Hall of Fame.

In February of 2014, Shannon was inducted into the Cal South Hall of Fame.

Shannon currently holds a USSF National “B” license. She is a Certified Advance Sports Technology Facilitator. Shannon also is a Fox Soccer and ESPN/SEC analyst, covering matches such as the U17 and U20 Women’s World Cup.

Prior to joining the Sharks she was the Assistant Coach for the UCLA Womens team for two years, 2007-2009, helping lead the Bruins to two final four appearances. She is a 2008 Inductee to San Diego’s Breitbard Hall of Champions. Shannon graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in Social work. She was also a four time All American for the Pilots and the winner of the prestigious Hermann Award as college soccer’s top player in 1995.

Tamika Raymond

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2010  –  Malawi
  • 2011  –  Tanzania
  • 2012  –  China
  • 2013  –  Ukraine
  • 2013  –  Nigeria
  • 2014  –  Sri Lanka

Tamika Maria Raymond is an Assistant Coach for the women’s basketball team at the University of Kansas. Prior to serving in that role, Raymond played professional basketball in the WNBA for six seasons. During the 2002 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx selected Raymond with the sixth overall pick. She played her last season in the WNBA with the Connecticut Sun.

Prior to playing in the WNBA, Raymond attended the University of Connecticut, where she majored in interpersonal communications. She played for the school’s women’s basketball teams, which won Division I National Championship teams in 2000 and 2002. She completed her four-year collegiate career with averages of 10.6 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. She finished as UConn’s all-time leader in field goal percentage at 70.3 percent.

Raymond had a stellar high school basketball career in Dayton, OH. She was named the 1997 and 1998 Ohio Player of the Year and was selected to the 1997-98 Associated Press girls Division I All-Ohio high school basketball team. She was named “Ohio’s Miss Basketball” by the Associated Press.

Sue Wicks

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2009  –  Philippines
  • 2010  –  Indonesia
  • 2011  –  Dominican Republic
  • 2013  –  Malaysia
  • 2016  –  Cambodia
  • 2017  –  Jordan

Sue Wicks was a first-round selection by the New York Liberty in the WNBA’s inaugural draft in 1997. Wicks went on to play six seasons with the Liberty, earning an All-Star selection in 2000. She also was the recipient of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2000. Wicks finished her WNBA career in eighth place all-time in blocked shots.

Wicks played collegiately at Rutgers University, where she was a three-time All-American and the 1988 National Player of the Year. She was inducted into Rutgers’ Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2013.

Olympia Scott-Richardson

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  Dominican Republic

Olympia Ranee Scott was born the day of the closing ceremonies of the Montreal Summer Olympics, hence the name. She is the daughter of Stephan T. Scott, M.B.A. and Jacqueline Parker Scott, Ed. D., M.B.A., sister of Tres Mali Scott and Stephen Thomas Scott and proud mother of BreAzia, her only child and engaged to Rachman Crable.

A native of Los Angeles, Olympia attended St. Bernard High School where she participated in a variety of extra-curricular activities especially student government, basketball, and track and field. She held various offices such as Class President, Commissioner of Campus Communications and Commissioner of Athletic Affairs. She was also a 4-year starter for her high school basketball team and led her team to her school’s first girl’s CIF Championship and back-to-back California State Championships her junior and senior years. She set various high school records including recording 39 rebounds in a single game and triple-jumping 37 feet. Olympia was named to the California All-State team for basketball. She was also recognized as the Division IV California State Player of the Year and named a Kodak All-American.

She also received the Cheryl Miller award for being the best player in Southern California. Olympia was the youngest player ever to play in an Olympic Festival for a team sport in 1994 where she also set the single-game shot-block record of 4 while playing for the West team.
Olympia also grew up in Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a national organization for children, empowering them to excel through leadership and service in our communities. Her mother, Jacqueline Parker Scott, Ed. D., M.B.A., is a past National Program Director and Far West Regional Director as well as the founder of Jack and Jill of America’s National Teen Leadership Development Program. In high school, Olympia held office as the Far West Regional Teen President of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

Olympia received a full athletic scholarship to Stanford University where she was a 4 year starter for the women’s basketball team. She led her team to 4 Pac-10 Conference Championships with back-to-back undefeated in conference seasons. She also helped her team to 3 NCAA Final Four Appearances in her four years. During her tenure as a Cardinal she received various accolades including Kodak All-American, All-Pac-10 conference, and was a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.

Olympia also played on the US Women’s National Basketball Team. She competed in the R. Williams Jones Cup Tournament in Taiwan, winning the bronze medal in 1995. She also won a gold medal for the USA in the World University Games held in Sicily, Italy in 1997. In 1998, Olympia became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and graduated from Stanford with a BA in Sociology. Also in 1998, Olympia was picked 11th overall in the WNBA draft. Since then, she has played on 6 different teams over the past 10 seasons. She played her most statistically productive seasons in Indiana for the Fever. She was the first player to grab 300 rebounds in a Fever uniform along with being the previous record-holder for most rebounds in a single-game with 17. She also had a career high in points with 31 vs. the Utah Starzz in 2002.

While playing in the WNBA, Olympia served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) for 2 terms. She participated in the last 2 negotiations of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the WNBA and the WNBPA as an executive committee member as well as a negotiating committee member.

Olympia was awarded the Community Assist award for excellence in community service and leadership by the WNBA and the Indiana Fever in 2002. She was also awarded the Lysik Ultimate Service Award for leadership and service in Los Angeles in 2007. Her most significant professional accomplishments, however, are her two WNBA World Championships she won with the Sacramento Monarchs in 2005 and again in 2007 with her current team, the Phoenix Mercury. She is the first player in WNBA history to win 2 WNBA World Championships with 2 different teams.

As a mother, 10 year WNBA veteran, and therefore, a role model in the community, Olympia recognizes her responsibility to give back. It is her goal to enlighten, educate, and inspire others through education, basketball, fitness, humor and just forward-thinking in general. Olympia is known for her charismatic and inspiring energy and she uses this as a means to connect people to her positive messages of hope and responsibility. Constantly providing motivational speeches, mentoring, or coaching to youths and adults alike, she keeps very busy in the community. She also provides basketball camps and clinics through various organizations as well as her own company Champions Clinics, a basketball camp and motivational speaking company she co-founded with Bridget Pettis, a former Indiana Fever teammate and the assistant coach of the 2007 WNBA World Champion Phoenix Mercury.

Previous to starting Champions Clinics, in 2002 Olympia and her mother (also a certified parenting instructor), provided unique events to the Indianapolis, IN community. Through Olympia’s fan club Olympia Hoops, they provided basketball camps that included a parenting seminar for the parents while their children participated in the basketball camp. The parenting seminars were specifically for parenting athletes.

The events were a success and from this partnership formed an even greater enterprise, Super Parenting. In 2003, Olympia and her mother decided to start a parenting education company to spread parenting wisdom everywhere. Today, Super Parenting LLC has evolved even further into an online company to reach parents worldwide. Specializing in premier online parenting classes they also provide services such as The Super Parenting Social Network; Super Parenting TV; parenting coaches; parenting workshops; motivational speakers; and books.

In her WNBA off-seasons (September through May), Olympia plays professional basketball overseas in various European countries. She has played in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, and Russia for a total of 10 seasons. Her daughter, BreAzia has had the privilege of travelling with her mother to all of these places. She attends school in each country and learns a bit of the language, as well as the culture. It is an enlightening experience for both of them.

Although playing professional basketball worldwide is rewarding, it is not a family career. With the wisdom and insights attained from her parenting education expert mother, Dr. Jacqueline Parker Scott, however, Olympia has learned a delicate balancing act. Truly appreciating and understanding the value of the parenting knowledge gained for her own benefit, Olympia realizes the value in parenting education for parents worldwide. This has motivated her to join the pledge her mother has made 19 years ago, to educate parents. Together, the two women hope to be a force to be reckoned with, when it comes to disseminating parenting wisdom.

Nykesha Sales

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2009  –  Uganda
  • 2010  –  Cape Verde
  • 2011  –  Haiti
  • 2012  –  Venezuela
  • 2013  –  Ukraine
  • 2014  –  South Korea

The all-time leading scorer in Connecticut Sun history, Nykesha Sales returns to the team for her second season as the community liaison and an assistant to the coaching staff.

In 2013, Sales made numerous community relations appearances on behalf of the Sun, practiced regularly with the team and also provided color commentary on selected team broadcasts.

Sales was the first member of the Connecticut Sun franchise, which began as the Orlando Miracle prior to the 1999 season. She played with the team from 1999-2007, helping the Sun reach two WNBA Finals and four straight Eastern Conference Finals between 2003 and 2006.

A seven-time WNBA All-Star, Sales was the second player in league history to amass 3,000 points, 500 assists and 400 steals during her career – joining Sheryl Swoopes. She finished her career with 3,955 points, 683 assists and 490 steals.

Kayte Christensen

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  Venezuela

Kayte Christensen was a fan favorite both on and off the court throughout her WNBA career.

As a professional athlete, one of her top priorities was to give back to her fans and community. For her efforts, she was awarded the offseason WNBA Community Assist Award in 2003 and 2004. During the offseason, she stayed in her team’s market to work with local schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and other community organizations.

Additionally on an international scale, Christensen conducted a series of training camps for Palestinian youths and coaches as part of the “Shooting Stars Basketball Camp,” July of 2010, in Ramallah and Bethlehem. The Basketball Camp is a joint-program coordinated between the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Palestinian National Committee of Summer Camps (NCSC). Approximately 200 Palestinian children from Ramallah and Bethlehem participated in the training sessions. The camps promote confidence, self-esteem, team-building and respect among participants, in addition to promoting mutual understanding between Americans and Palestinians.

In December 2010, she traveled to Dakar, Senegal for two weeks during the World Festival of Black Arts and Culture. While in Senegal, she helped organize four basketball clinics that hosted over 200 local boys and girls. In addition to working with the local children, she met with the US Delegation and spoke on behalf of the NBA and WNBA’s experiences in Africa and efforts to make a positive impact in the community.

Christensen came to the Chicago Sky as a free agent after her second tour of duty with the Phoenix Mercury. In 2007, she helped keep the Sky in contention for a playoff spot throughout the season with some quality minutes off the bench. Christensen started seven of the 23 games in which she played, averaging just over two points and nearly two rebounds per game. Due to a back injury, she was released from the Sky during the 2008 season.

Prior to joining the Sky, she began her career playing four seasons in the desert as a member of the Phoenix Mercury. She enjoyed a career year in her second season in the league, starting 16 games and averaging nearly seven points. She opened the 2006 campaign with the Houston Comets after signing as a free agent, but rejoined the Mercury later in the year when she was waived by Houston.

A graduate of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), Christensen averaged 14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a senior and was named Big West Conference Player of the Year and All-Big West First Team.

In her offseasons, she has played internationally in Turkey, South Korea, Russia and Greece.

Christensen is currently a journalist for ESPN.

Katie Smith

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  India

Katie Smith was born on June 4, 1974, in Logan, Ohio. She began playing basketball in the fifth grade. Smith attended The Ohio State University from 1992-1996, where she excelled on the basketball court. As a freshman, she led the Buckeyes to the NCAA championship game and was named Sports Illustrated and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Kodak All-American first team. She finished her Ohio State career as the leading scorer in Big Ten women’s basketball history and was the first woman to have her basketball jersey number retired at Ohio State.
In her first season of professional basketball Smith led the Columbus Quest to the American Basketball League (ABL) title. Smith repeated as ABL champion with the Quest in 1998, the league’s last season. Smith joined the Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) for the 1999 season. The six-time WNBA All-Star lead the league in scoring in 2001 and became the first American Professional Woman to score 4,000 points. She was traded to the Detroit Shock in 2005 and earned two WNBA titles with the team in 2006 and 2008, earning Finals MVP honors in 2008. She is a two-time All-WNBA first team member (2001, 2003), two-time All-WNBA second team member (2000, 2002) and was named to the WNBA All-Decade team in 2006. In 2010, Smith signed a free agent contract with the Washington Mystics.
Smith has also achieved basketball success in international competition. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist for USA (2000, 2004 and 2008) and two-time World Champion (1998 and 2002). She was named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 2008.
Throughout her career Smith has been an active member of the community as she served as spokesperson for the United Way Race Relations Department in Ohio, was an Olympic torchbearer in Columbus, Ohio, for the 2002 Salt Lake Games, and was honored by the Columbus Touchdown Club as the Ohio State Female Athlete of the Century.

Edna Campbell

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  Democratic Republic of Congo
  • 2012  –  Indonesia
  • 2014  –  Sri Lanka

Edna Campbell (born November 26, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.) is a retired women’s basketball player who played in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The 5′ 8″ guard was a star player for the Sacramento Monarchs and has also played for three other teams, but is well known for continuing to play despite suffering breast cancer.
Campbell’s college career began at the University of Maryland, College Park, but achieved her most notable success at the University of Texas’ women’s team, known as the Lady Longhorns, where she was named the Southwest Conference’s Newcomer of the Year in 1990. She graduated in 1991 after the Lady Longhorns compiled a 48-14 won/loss record while she was there.
Campbell played for the Colorado Xplosion in the American Basketball League (ABL).
Edna Campbell was the 10th overall draft pick, selected by the Phoenix Mercury during the 1999 WNBA Draft. She was left unprotected in the expansion draft the following year, and was chosen by the Seattle Storm. She became the new franchise’s go-to option, but the team finished with a cellar-dwelling 6-26 record.
The next year, the Storm drafted its first superstar, Lauren Jackson, and Campbell was traded to the Sacramento Monarchs for Katy Steding and a draft pick. During the second of her four seasons in Sacramento, Campbell was diagnosed with breast cancer. She received treatment and was welcomed back before the fans of her two most recent teams in the Monarchs’ final game against Seattle during the 2002 season.
Campbell continued to play despite the cancer, and has become a symbol to some survivors of the disease. She became the WNBA’s national spokesperson for its anti-cancer efforts with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She received the league’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2003.
Campbell signed a free agent contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2005. She played with the Silver Stars for that one season, before announcing her retirement from the WNBA on February 28, 2006.
During the 2006 WNBA season, which honored 9 years of existence, Edna Campbell’s return from breast cancer was nominated by fans as Most Inspirational and one of the top four WNBA Anniversary decade moments.
Shortly after retiring from basketball, Edna was hired as a television commentator for the San Antonio Silver Stars games during the 2006 WNBA season. In addition, Campbell has worked in Real Estate. Edna Campbell became a nurse in 2008, and also began coaching high school girls.

Andrea Stinson

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2005  –  Algeria
  • 2009  –  Bahrain
  • 2011  –  Jordan

Andrea is considered by many to be the best female player ever from North Carolina. At North Mecklenburg High School, she led her team to two State Championships, and was named player of the year by the High School Association, and Miss Basketball by The Charlotte Observer. She was named the USA Today National Player of the year.

Andrea won AAU National Championships as a ninth grader, and again her junior year when she was MVP (Charlotte Monarchs, now Royals). At NC State she scored 2136 points and was All-Conference and All American.

As a professional she played for the WNBA Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock, as well teams in Italy, Turkey, and France. She was a Four Time Italian League All-Star.

Andrea also played on USA Basketball National Teams, participating in the Pan American games, and winning a gold medal in the Jones Cups.

Andrea has been an active participant in The Sports United Envoy Program, traveling to Africa and the Middle East to conduct clinics and events for youth.

After retiring as a player Andrea became a high school coach in NC, and now is the coach at Newton-Conover High School.

Tracy Noonan

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  Guatemala
  • 2013  –  Costa Rica
  • 2014  –  Tonga
  • 2016  –  Fiji
  • 2016  –  Nepal

A potent combination of talent and tenacity carried Tracy Noonan (formerly Ducar) to the top of the women’s soccer world. Her list of accomplishments includes a 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship with the United States women’s national team and three NCAA championships with the powerhouse North Carolina Tar Heels. She also was a founding member of the Women’s United Soccer Association, backstopping a Boston Breakers team that included USA and international stars Kristine Lilly, Kate Sobrero Markgraf, Maren Meinert (Germany) and Dagny Mellgren (Norway).

Not bad for a player whose career was almost derailed by a broken back suffered during a high school basketball game.

Since retiring as an active player, Tracy has devoted herself to teaching and coaching, and was head soccer coach at Greensboro College in Greensboro, NC before deciding to devote herself full-time to Dynasty Goalkeeping.

Career Highlights:
3-time NCAA champion at the University of North Carolina (1991-95)
U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper (1996-99)
Alternate on the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Soccer Team
1999 Women’s World Cup Team
Founding member of the WUSA and goalkeeper for the Boston Breakers (2001-03)
Winner of the Boston Breakers Shield Award (2001)
Member of the New England Women’s Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 2001)
Goalkeeper coach at UNC-Greensboro (1998-99)
Head Soccer Coach at Greensboro College (2004-05)