Arrick Jackson, chancellor of Indiana University Northwest, first met Sylvia Crawley Spann in an elevator following the Women’s National Basketball Association all-star game. During that interaction, Crawley Spann made a “memorable impression,” Jackson said, giving him advice on how to give th e best handshake. Indiana University Northwest Chancellor Arrick Jackson introduces former professional basketball player and coach Sylvia Crawley Spann during a speaking engagement on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) “First of all, I want to say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” Crawley Spann said. “So, I’m glad that I was on my best behavior in that elevator.” Jackson and Crawley Spann’s interaction opened the door for the former basketball player to spend a day on IUN’s campus. “(The student government association) told me that they want more engagement between the students and the community, and I immediately thought of Sylvia,” Jackson said. “I remembered she was a motivational speaker, and I reached out to her to see if she would talk to us … and she agreed.” On Wednesday morning, Crawley Spann gave a motivational talk at IUN as part of her SLAM Leadership program. SLAM stands for self-confidence, leadership, accountability and mindset. The university also planned for her to have a public meet and greet and serve as the honorary coach for the women’s basketball team during their Wednesday night game. Former professional basketball player and coach Sylvia Crawley Spann, on left, speaks with Edison Lake Station students Brooklynne Walker, center, and Alexander Burts after an exercise during her visit to Indiana University Northwest on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) Crawley Spann, 53, grew up in Steubenville, Ohio, and she played basketball, volleyball, and track as a child. She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina, and she played professional basketball at multiple teams. She was the first women’s slam dunk contest winner and coached collegiate and professional basketball, including for the Indiana Fever. “I love the opportunity to impact lives without a jersey and now with a (microphone) in my hand,” she said. “I like to show them that there’s going to be opposition, and there’s going to be people that don’t believe in you, but you have to look yourself in the mirror and believe in yourself.” Through her talk, Crawley Spann used her basketball experience to relate to her talk. She told various stories, including a time when she worked a basketball camp with former NBA star Michael Jordan. The two players faced off in a pickup basketball game at the camp, and Jordan “dunked on” Crawley Spann. She said she was so embarrassed at the moment, but she used the challenge to teach her how to dunk better. Former professional basketball player and coach Sylvia Crawley Spann describes learning from the time Michael Jordan dunked on her during an exercise as she speaks to students and visitors at Indiana University Northwest on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) “When you view challenges, mistakes and failures as stepping stones, it eliminates the fear of failure,” Crawley Spann said. “Now, I’m not afraid to fail, and I’m not afraid to mess up.” Crawley Spann likes to connect basketball to real life in her talks because those experiences define who she is and taught her life lessons. Because of her basketball career, Crawley Spann has lived in 16 countries and learned to speak four languages, so she says that she has “a wealth of knowledge and intellectual property to share.” “I believe everyone’s journey is somebody else’s survival guide,” Crawley Spann said. “You live through it, not just for you, but to help the people who are currently going through it. You’re a living witness, a testimony that you can survive this.” Crawley Spann also had activities for participants, including a drill that would outline multiple difficult scenarios for students — including not starting during a basketball game or not being asked to the school dance — and had volunteers respond to the scenarios, talking into a mirror and saying something encouraging to themselves. Former professional basketball player and coach Sylvia Crawley Spann speaks to students and visitors at Indiana University Northwest on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune) “You’ve got to be able to look at yourself in a mirror and say, ‘I can do it,’” Crawley Spann said. “‘I am great. I’m still going to go in the game, and I’m still true to who I am. I’m going to work hard, and that’s not going to change what I do and who I am.’” Crawley Spann said it was rewarding to see attendees engaged with the motivational presentation, either through participating or asking questions afterwards. It makes her feel like she’s making a difference in their lives, she said. “My goal is always to tell a ‘me story’ but make it a ‘we story,’” Crawley Spann said. “I don’t want to just talk about what I did, but I want them to understand how to apply it and make their lives better. That’s the impact I want to make.” [email protected] ...read more read less