STATESBORO - Georgia Southern assistant women's basketball coach Elaine Powell has been inducted into the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, announced this week by the organization.

Elaine Powell started her collegiate basketball career at Pearl River where she achieved great success including All-State, All-Region, and NJCAA First-Team All-American. During her time at Pearl River, the Wildcats won a state championship, a regional championship, and participated in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. After Pearl River, Powell continued her collegiate career at Louisianna State University where she went on to be the NCAA national scoring leader, a two-time All-American, and an SEC standout.

After her time in Baton Rouge, Powell continued her basketball career in the WNBA with the Orlando Miracle. Powell became the first player in LSU history to be drafted by the WNBA and was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 draft. Powell spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Miracle before joining the Detroit Shock where she would win three WNBA World Championships. After finding success in the WNBA, she continued to spread her love of basketball by becoming a coach. Powell has been the assistant coach at multiple universities including Alabama A&M, Grambling State, and Ohio. Powell later became the head coach at Langston University for five years and is currently the assistant coach at Georgia Southern University. 

This makes the third Athletic Hall of Fame to induct Powell, as she is also a member of the Pearl River Community College Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Mississippi Junior College Sports Hall of Fame.