Player Profile: Tamera Young

DREAM PLAYER PROFILE: TAMERA YOUNG

If it weren’t for another #23 by the name of Michael Jordan, the Dream’s Tamera Young would undoubtedly be the most celebrated basketball player to emerge from Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.  Growing up, Young looked up to the hometown hero.  By the end of her high school career, Young was putting up numbers that Jordan himself would be proud of.      

Growing up watching her older brother excel on the basketball court, Young naturally gravitated towards the game.  She played on her first organized team in the third grade and fell in love with the game.  By the time she hit eighth grade she realized, “this was something I wanted to do forever.” 

Upon her arrival at James Madison University, Young immediately stepped into a starting role as a freshman.  By the end of her four-year career, Young shattered not just school records but conference records as well.  Most of Young’s college stats begin with “school-record.”  Most notably, she finished as the leading scorer in the history of James Madison and the Colonial Athletic Association with 2,121 career points.  She also finished as the school’s career steals leader and became only the second player in school history to top the 1,000 mark in career rebounds.  In her senior year for the Dukes, Young led the CAA in scoring (20.4 ppg) and rebounding (10.4 rpg), earning CAA Player of the Year honors.     

Despite her impressive statistics, Young still had to prove to her doubters that she could perform at the next level.  No player from James Madison had ever been selected by a WNBA team.  That all changed on April 9, 2008, when Young became the first draft pick in Atlanta Dream history as the eighth selection overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft.  “I was excited and shocked, all at one time,” said Young.  “I just felt that it was a blessing that my dream really did come true.  It goes to show that dreams really do come true for people.”

Young brings intensity on both end of the floors and rebounding ability from the guard spot.  Her athleticism makes her capable of playing both the two-guard and three-guard positions.  Early in the Dream season, Young has seen her minutes increase as she continues to bring energy and an aggressive mentality off the bench.  “Everyone is great.  Everyone is quick,” said Young on the adjustment to the WNBA.  “In college you have two or maybe three great players on a team, but here everyone is great so you have to adjust to the pace of the game.”      

On her right shoulder, Young has a tattoo of a basketball inscribed with the words “Heart of the Game.”  The words symbolize her love of the game.  But they also represent how she plays every time she steps foot on the court: full of heart.