TAMPA, Fla. — LSU’s women’s basketball team, in its second day at the Final Four, was one of the four guests of honor at the annual Salute Dinner on Friday evening at the Tampa Convention Center.
The event held to honor the players, coaches and selected administers from each of the Final Four participants, began with the ring sizing for the 2008 NCAA Final Four rings on the StarShip yacht during a tour of Tampa Bay.
The 30 minute cruise around the bay carried a pirate theme to keep the teams’ assumed with stories of Tampa’s history and the history of pirates in the bay area.
LSU’s Erica White, Khalilah Mitchell and Allison Hightower completed the cruise with a dance contest against Connecticut players, including Renee Montgomery.
Once inside the Convention Center, each team entered the dinner escorted by one of the pirates from the StarShip yacht.
The masters of ceremonies for the event were once against Debbie Antonelli and Beth Mowins, both recognized television personalities of the women’s game.
The dinner was kicked off by country music recording artist Sarah Lenore, who sang “The Power of the Dream,” a song written by Emmy award-winning composer David Barrett.
Lenore was followed by LSU’s own Judy Southard who serves as the chairperson of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Selection Committee. Southard welcomed the four teams and congratulated each one of making it to the Final Four.
A short video presentation and dinner were followed by question and answer segments with Antonelli and Mowins and the head coaches and members of each of the four teams.
LSU head coach Van Chancellor, at his first Final Four as a coach, and seniors Sylvia Fowles and White, at their fourth Final Four, participated in the Q&A on the stage that was designed to look like a pirate ship.
The event closed with a tribute video of the 64 teams that began with the goal of reaching the Final Four.
The Lady Tigers have a busy day planned for Saturday with LSU’s news conference and other media obligations at the St. Pete Times Forum beginning at 12:45 p.m. CDT. That is followed by the team autograph session at 1:20 p.m. with the open practice scheduled at 2:15 p.m. CDT.
LSU plays Tennessee on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. CDT in the national semifinal.