The Wolfpacker

64 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY BRIAN RAPP D ebbie Antonelli likes to refer to herself as "the best non-stat starter in the history of NC State women's basketball." It would be hard to argue with the surface truth of that. As a four-year letterer for the Wolfpack from 1982-86, Antonelli (then known by her maiden name, Debbie Mulligan), never led teams that finished a combined 90-33, won the 1985 ACC Tournament and went to four consecutive NCAA tournaments in any major statistical category. Well, maybe one. "I'm probably the first — and last — freshman ever to get a technical called on her on the bench," she recalled, one of the many memories she treasures in a 30-year career that has taken her from aspirations of becoming one of the country's few fe- male athletic directors to arguably the most recognizable face and voice of women's college basketball. Today, the oldest daughter of Paul and Peggy Mulligan can be found from Sep- tember to April crisscrossing most of the country as a college basketball analyst for ESPN, the Big Ten Network, CBS, FOX Sports, Raycom and Westwood One. Dur- ing the WNBA season, she's the analyst for the Indiana Fever. She's an in-demand motivational speaker and media trainer for both women's and men's college teams, and a voting member for every major college basketball award in the country (and creator of the WBCA's Defensive Player of the Year award). She is also a member of four boards (including a life member of the board of directors of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund), a clinician and summer basketball camp or- ganizer, the creator of two women's college basketball showcase events in Florida and Texas, the 2007 winner of the Mel Green- burg Award, presented by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association for out- standing commitment to, and promotion of, the game of basketball by a member of the media — and a wife and mother to three boys. "I have my hands in a lot of different things," Antonelli conceded. "With my fam- ily, there's just no down time or day off for me. I just keep moving forward because I see a real need to build and serve our game." 'Build' and 'serve' are two of the key words in Antonelli's motivation and life principles, along with a third, 'empower- ment.' They adorn the miniature basketballs she passes out to friends and those she feels could benefit from the simple messages they convey — concepts that have their origins in her four years in Raleigh playing for Kay Yow. "My parents gave me good, sound core fundamentals," she said, "and Coach Yow gave me good, solid basketball fun- damentals on top of those. I have tired to combine doing things the right way, with a work ethic, and then learning the game from her … So many of the things I do now in my career have a lot to do with the things I learned while playing for her." Growing up in Hyde Park, N.Y., until eighth grade, Antonelli, the oldest of three girls, was an admitted tomboy. She was a Little League baseball all-star at 10, a CYO basketball player and an eventual three- sport standout in volleyball, softball and hoops by the time her parents, employed by IBM, moved from New York to Cary, N.C., in 1980. After earning all-conference honors dur- ing her four years at Cary High School, An- tonelli faced a somewhat difficult choice for continuing her hoops career at the next level. "It came down to UNC or NC State," she recalled. "But my parents had been taking me to State games ever since we moved to Raleigh, and I'd sit on the railing directly across from the bench and study Coach Yow and those players. Then I'd meet them in her summer camps. "She was the deciding factor in my going to State, because she knew I wanted to play for her, that I'd work hard and do whatever she asked me to do." Her four years in Raleigh came during the golden years of Yow's career, when her teams regularly contended for the ACC ti- tles and postseason tournament berths. She played in 117 games, starting as a shooting guard her final three years, on squads that featured All-Americans Linda Page and Trina Trice. "I was the perfect role player, the one making the extra pass, setting a screen, running the floor hard," Antonelli recalled. "Coach Yow respected my passion — everyone that played for her had the same feeling, that you would do anything to win for her because you didn't want to disap- point her. She never yelled — if you didn't do something right and disappointed her, that was even worse!" Case in point — that technical during her freshman year for jumping off the end of the bench at the close of a tight game against the Tar Heels and yelling "Foul!" on a no-call. "I had to tell the official my number because I still had my shooting shirt on," s h e r e m e m b e r e d . "I'm about to cry be- cause I think Coach Yow is going to kill me … and my par- ents are sitting across the floor. "She didn't say anything for two days. After practice the second day I went to her office, and she sat me down and started talking about how Wolfpack women are supposed to behave. By the time she'd finished you couldn't see me on that couch, I'd sunk so low into it. "Then she said, 'However, to have a freshman sitting on the bench, not even in the game, that involved — I'll take that any day. Just don't get another technical.' "I walked out of there with my head high because she built me up. She knew that would carry me further than any disciplin- ary action, and I carry that with me because Debbie Antonelli Age: 51 Living: Mount Pleasant, S.C. Occupation: Basketball analyst for several media outlets, including ESPN, CBS, FOX Sports, Raycom and the WNBA's Indiana Fever. Did you know? Antonelli averaged 7.8 points per game as a senior on a team that finished the season ranked No. 19 nationally. ? WHERE ARE THEY NOW BUILD, SERVE, EMPOWER Those Principles Have Guided Former Pack Player Debbie Antonelli's Successful Life WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Antonelli has become one of the most rec- ognizable commentating voices in women's basketball. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS

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