| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960 (age 64–65) East Chicago, Indiana, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Lataunya Pollard Romanazzi (born 1960) is a former college basketball player who played forLong Beach State from 1979 to 1983. With Long Beach, Pollard scored 3,001 points and was the 1983 recipient of theWade Trophy. During this time period, Pollard played for the American team that qualified for the1980 Summer Olympics before the United States withdrew from the event. While on the American team, Pollard won silver at the1981 World University Games and1983 FIBA World Championship for Women. Outside of America, Pollard played basketball in Europe from 1983 to the early 1990s. Pollard was inducted into theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 andIndiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.
In 1960,Pollard was born inEast Chicago, Indiana.[1] Growing up, Pollard tried out for a high school basketball team when she was in grade eight. Upon being chosen for the team, Pollard had to wait a year before she could play as she was under the age requirement.[2] While at East Chicago Roosevelt, Pollard was awarded the 1979Indiana Miss Basketball.[3] After 93 games, Pollard accumulated 1,739 points. In 1985, Pollard was third for the most points scored by a girls basketball player in Indiana.[4][5]
In 1979, Pollard started her college basketball career withLong Beach State.[6] During the1980 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship, her team reached the quarterfinals.[7][8] Her team also made it to the quarterfinals in the 1981 AIAW Division I event.[9][10] As part of theNCAA, Pollard's team won theWestern Collegiate Athletic Association conference in 1982.[11] That year, Pollard reached 2,000 career points in women's basketball.[12] At the1983 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, her team reached the regional finals.[13]
During her time at Long Beach, Pollard led the season in points four times and blocks three times.[14] After ending her time with Long Beach in 1983, Pollard had appeared in 128 games and scored 3,001 points.[15] That year, Pollard held the season and career points record as part of the 16 statistics she led with Long Beach.[16] In 2022, Pollard continued to be first in career points record with Long Beach and had remained in first for almost forty years.[17]
Pollard was named most valuable player at the 1979U.S. Olympic Festival after she scored 82 points in the event.[18][19] In international events, Pollard scored 72 points at the 1980FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament as part of the American team that qualified for the1980 Summer Olympics.[20] Pollard did not compete at the Olympics after the United States decided to not participate in the Games.[21] While on the United States team, Pollard won a silver medal at the1981 World University Games and1983 FIBA World Championship for Women. In these events, Pollard scored 106 points at the World University Games and 88 points at the FIBA World Championship.[22][23] Outside of the United States, Pollard began playing basketball inItaly in 1983 and continued to play there until 1991. While competing in Italy, Pollard consistently led in points each season include a 1985 points record of 39.5.[24][25]
Source[26]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | PPG | FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | Long Beach State | 34 | 660 | 19.4 | 51.8% | 74.5% |
| 1980–81 | Long Beach State | 34 | 733 | 21.6 | 54.0% | 68.6% |
| 1981–82 | Long Beach State | 29 | 701 | 24.2 | 54.1% | 76.0% |
| 1982–83 | Long Beach State | 31 | 907 | 29.3 | 52.1% | 77.1% |
| Career | 128 | 3001 | 23.4 | 52.9% | 74.6% |
Pollard was on the All-America Team twice for theWomen's Basketball Coaches Association during the early 1980s.[27] In 1982, Pollard was a co-recipient of theUSA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award alongsideCindy Noble.[28] In 1983, Pollard was nominated for theNaismith Trophy.[29] That year, she won theWade Trophy and was a finalist for theHonda Sports Award for Basketball.[30][31]
By 1990, Long Beach retired Pollard's jersey.[32] For hall of fame inductions, Pollard was named into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame in 1988 and theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.[33][34] In 2005, she joined theIndiana Basketball Hall of Fame and theNational High School Hall of Fame.[35][36]