Inquirer's Hall guy inducted

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Women's basketball's original, illustrious set of shakers and movers could never be considered complete without its original author, any more than the Declaration of Independence could have been considered a fait accompli without Thomas Jefferson's signature touch.

That missing literary link to the beginning of a now-thriving international sport was lovingly put in place last night when Mel Greenberg, The Philadelphia Inquirer's veteran women's basketball reporter, was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. He went in along with five on-court luminaries in a gala ceremony at the Tennessee Theatre.

The 60-year-old Greenberg, with apologies to court great Dawn Staley, is Temple University's first inductee into the women's Hall. The onetime student/manager-turned-journalist didn't just have fans among a Philadelphia contingent that included friends and family, Inquirer colleagues, and representatives from Temple, Drexel, the Big Five and the Atlantic Ten.

"Tonight, there are no more questions," Greenberg said. "I heartily and humbly accept your vote of approval."

Greenberg won that honor in large part because he was the first authoritative voice on women's basketball. That was before much of the sporting nation knew the now-multimillion-dollar industry was in as far-flung but disparate places as Immaculata, the University of Maryland, Louisiana Tech and Penn State.

"Mel was like a modern-day pioneer of the media. He cared when no one else cared," said Andy Landers, the 28-year coach from Georgia and Greenberg's fellow inductee.

Also inducted were former collegiate all-Americans Andrea Lloyd-Curry (Texas), Pam Kelly Flowers (Louisiana Tech), and Bridgette Gordon and Daedra Charles Furlow, two legends from the University of Tennessee dynasty.