Titan Memories: Charlee Underwood

2/10/2026 10:00:00 AM | By: Kirk San Roman

In the over 56-year history of Cal State Fullerton Women's Basketball, only 25 Titans have logged 1,000 or more points for the ol' Navy-Blue & Orange. Sharpshooting wing, Charlee Underwood (2003-2007), is #10 all-time in points scored with 1,382.

A native of San Francisco, Underwood played girls' basketball for the French-American International School, earning team MVP honors in each of her four seasons for the Jaguars, where she averaged between 20 and 30 points in each season.

Charlee remembered: "Coming from a small private school and not having played a lot of travel ball, a teammate's parent helped to get my name out there to college coaches."

Underwood was initially recruited by former Titan head coach Barbara Ehardt. Following a coaching change, Fullerton head coach Maryalyce Jeremiah and her assistant, Marcia Foster, continued the recruiting process with Charlee.

"They visited my mom and family," said Underwood. "On my official visit, I fell in love with the Fullerton campus, its location, and the weather. I also knew another player on the team, Tessa Moon, who was from San Francisco, and that made it feel more comfortable for me as well.

"Maybe Coach J picking me up at the airport in her BMW Z3 with the top down didn't hurt either."

Charlee chose Cal State Fullerton over Santa Clara, Sacramento State, and the University of San Francisco.
Foster recently said, "(Charlee) was a gifted athlete, a talented high-IQ player, and a fierce competitor. She brought those same gifts to Cal State Fullerton, where she had a wonderful career."

Underwood, a 5'10" student-athlete, made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting in 20 games, averaging 9.8 points and hauling down 3.8 rebounds. Charlee was named to the All-Big West Freshman team in 2003-04. She would receive other Big West honors in two other seasons.

Perhaps Charlee's most productive campaign was in 2005-06, when she averaged 12.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, shooting .449 from the floor, and .429 from behind the three-point arc.

Asked about some of her favorite moments as a Titan, Charlee answered quickly: "I have so many highlights from my time at Fullerton. One that I really enjoyed was when I got 1,000 points. Another was gaining a starting spot as a freshman. I periodically check to see if I'm still on some of the record lists. I am, and that remains a highlight.

"College was a great time for me," Underwood added, "and I have so many memories from my time at Fullerton. I think the best times I had were with my teammates when we would travel. Road trips were always fun on the bus or planes, and having that bonding time in the hotel rooms was amazing. We learned so much about each other, which helped our bond on the court as well."

When asked if anyone made a particular impact on her life while at CSUF, Charlee answered: "I would say all of my coaches made an impact on me, but I had a great relationship with both Coach J and Coach Foster. I remember Coach J instilled in us that if you are on time, you are late, so always show up early. I have taken that advice, and that has always stuck with me, although it is a bit more challenging now that I am a mom of two little ones.

"Coach Foster was a coach whom I could relate to the most. She would never sugarcoat things and would always tell it like it is. When I became a coach and a teacher, I wanted to make sure I kept some of those same values and characteristics, and had the same kind of connections with my players.

"I was an assistant women's basketball coach for Skyline College (San Bruno, Calif.) from 2015 to 2020. During that time, we attended the Fullerton College winter tournament, and I coached against Coach Foster. It was such a cool experience to coach against someone who taught me so many things about coaching and life. That's something that I will always remember as special, being an athlete turned coach."

Following her time at Cal State Fullerton, Charlee played professionally in Finland for two years and in Luxembourg for one season. Additionally, she has recently played in 3X3 tournaments and tried out for the USA 3X3 Olympic team in Colorado Springs.

Returning to her native San Francisco, Underwood is currently a Physical Education teacher at Katherine Delmar Burke School, and is a Basketball trainer. Previously, she served for five years as Athletic Director at the Hamlin School.
Underwood related, "I took a break in 2020 after having my first child, a daughter, Charli, whom I named after me but with a different spelling. I now also have a two-year-old son named Zennoxton."

Charlee added, "I have my own basketball training program for girls called Pull Up Training, which focuses mainly on one-to-one training and skill building."

Either by phone or on social media, Underwood keeps in contact with a number of former Titan teammates, including Audrey Taylor, Toni Thomas, Ariel Adams, Alison Bennett, India McDaniel, and Cynthia Sorrell.

Marcia Foster had these final words about Charlee: "As luck would have it, our paths have continued to cross in the coaching world – And it has been such a privilege to watch a person I knew as a teenager grow and blossom into this amazing coach, mother, partner, and leader of young women."

Honors