Lynx Select Monica Wright with the Second Overall Pick
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Monica Wright
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today selected Virginia's Monica Wright with the second overall pick of the 2010 WNBA Draft.
Wright, a 5-11 guard, capped off an illustrious collegiate career by becoming the first Cavalier in school history to earn AP First-Team All-America honors after a historic senior season. In 31 games, Wright averaged an ACC-high 23.7 points - good for seventh nationally -, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.7 steals per game en route to earning ACC Player of the Year honors. Wright's 734 total points her senior year surpassed her own school record of 696 points, set in 2008-09, and also helped Wright supplant the legendary Dawn Staley as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,540 career points, a total that also ranks third on the all-time ACC scoring list. The All-American tallied eight 30-point games and 22 20-points games her senior year and knocked down a team-high 31 three-pointers. In addition to garnering AP All-America honors, Wright was also named to the 2010 U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America team and the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.
Wright, a three-time AP All-American, also took home the WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors her senior season after totaling an astounding 115 steals, which was second nationally. Wright tied the school-record with 10 steals in a game vs. Liberty on Dec. 29 and had 11 games of 5+ steals in 2010.
A two-time Wade Trophy and Wooden Award finalist - each given annually to the top collegiate player - Wright started and played in every game during her four years as a Cavalier, totaling 133 career games played. Wright, a Woodbridge, Va. native, leaves the program with career averages of 19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game while shooting .436 (962-of-2207) from the floor. In 2010, Wright joined Staley as only UVa player with 2,000 career points, 700 career rebounds, 350 career steals and 300 career assists. Wright increased her scoring average each season of her career, and paced Virginia in scoring in three of her four years (freshman year, finished 2nd - 15.1 ppg). She was a State Farm Coaches' All-America Team regional finalist as a junior and sophomore and was the ACC Rookie of the Year her freshman year.
Monica Wright on Being selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx:
Q: Are you excited?
Wright: Yes, I am very excited.
Q: First reactions of heading to Minnesota?
WRIGHT: I definitely was nervous all day, but I was very excited once I heard I was going to Minnesota. I just ran through who I knew was playing for Minnesota in my head and I didn't realize I would be playing with Seimone Augustus, someone that I watched play when I was in high school, so I am very excited about the opportunity. I have heard so many great things about the Lynx and their program and their coaching staff and the players and I am very excited. My emotions are crazy right now.
Q: Did you have any feelings that you would end up here in Minnesota?
WRIGHT: I have heard things from a lot of different people, but as far as the draft goes it is... last year it was very unpredictable because of trades and things like that. I didn't want to get my heart set on one spot and then all of a sudden I wouldn't be going there. I did kind of have an idea, but I didn't want to put too much into it because of so much that could be going on.
On her defensive abilities -
WRIGHT: As far as defense goes, defense is a team... it is a team thing. It doesn't take one person to play great defense and stop a team, it takes everyone. I feel that my defense is the type of defense that reflects the team that I am with and I know the coaching in Minnesota is phenomenal so I am willing to do whatever she wants me to do defensively. Ultimately, it is a team thing and I am an ultimate team player, so I feel that wherever I am, as long as the coaches let me know what I need to do, I am going to do.
Q: What will your biggest personal contribution be to the Lynx?
WRIGHT: It is interesting because I haven't played with them; I'm not sure what the nature of my role will be yet. But I am sure once training camp starts, I will be able to figure out where I can produce and I am sure that automatically, defense is something that I will need to produce. As of right now, I am not sure. It is hard to tell when you haven't stepped onto the court and played with the girls yet.
Q: Is it nice to know there won't be a lot of pressure on you with the moves the Lynx made this offseason?
WRIGHT: Yes, absolutely. It is just nice to know that I am playing with the players that I am playing with. So as far as pressure goes, I don't really pay attention to things like that, but I am just excited to play with these high caliber players and elevate my game to their level and just reflect whatever the coach wants us to.
Q: Where are you in terms of academics and what degree are you pursuing?
WRIGHT: I am actually only taking one class and I'll be able to finish up that class in Minnesota and graduation is May 23rd and I'll be done once I pass that class. My major is sociology.
Q: Are you familiar with the Twin Cities?
WRIGHT: No, all I know is that there is the Mall of America there.
Q: Have you heard anything about Minnesota and the nice summers?
WRIGHT: Yes, people have mentioned the snow to me, but the season is in the summer, so I don't think I will be getting too much of that snow. But, I am sure that the weather will be beautiful there. I have heard a lot of great things about the weather, but as far as I know, the shopping is phenomenal.
On being a role model -
WRIGHT: Growing up I was blessed to be able to have plenty of great role models and I was a product of WNBA Cares so I am just honored to even be able to be in the position where I am inspiring someone else and modeling myself in a way so that someone else can model themselves after. So as far as that goes, I am just excited to be in this position where I can influence someone in a good way.
Q: On being a prolific scorer and coming to a team where she doesn't necessarily have to have this ability, will this be a change for you?
WRIGHT: No, I don't think so. It has been a while, but in the past I have been on a team where there have been people that are just as dominate as I am scoring-wise. I like to think of myself as a chameleon, wherever you need me, that is where I will be. I will be whatever player that the team needs me to be. I don't have too much pride when it comes to stuff like that. I am the ultimate team player. I am just excited to get out onto the floor and bottom-line, I like to win.
Q: Can you play the point as well as shooting guard?
WRIGHT: I have played the point a couple of times. I am going to have to work on that a little bit, but if that is what the team needs me to do, then I will definitely be able to do it.
Q: How relieved are you that draft day is here and you know where you are going?
WRIGHT: Very relieved. Like I said before, it was a sigh of relief after my name was called and now the work begins. I definitely feel that my parents are also relieved. I feel for them with how nervous they were throughout this whole situation. But like I said, it was relief once my name was called.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Lynx on Twitter.
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today selected Virginia's Monica Wright with the second overall pick of the 2010 WNBA Draft.
Wright, a 5-11 guard, capped off an illustrious collegiate career by becoming the first Cavalier in school history to earn AP First-Team All-America honors after a historic senior season. In 31 games, Wright averaged an ACC-high 23.7 points - good for seventh nationally -, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.7 steals per game en route to earning ACC Player of the Year honors. Wright's 734 total points her senior year surpassed her own school record of 696 points, set in 2008-09, and also helped Wright supplant the legendary Dawn Staley as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,540 career points, a total that also ranks third on the all-time ACC scoring list. The All-American tallied eight 30-point games and 22 20-points games her senior year and knocked down a team-high 31 three-pointers. In addition to garnering AP All-America honors, Wright was also named to the 2010 U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America team and the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.
Wright, a three-time AP All-American, also took home the WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors her senior season after totaling an astounding 115 steals, which was second nationally. Wright tied the school-record with 10 steals in a game vs. Liberty on Dec. 29 and had 11 games of 5+ steals in 2010.
A two-time Wade Trophy and Wooden Award finalist - each given annually to the top collegiate player - Wright started and played in every game during her four years as a Cavalier, totaling 133 career games played. Wright, a Woodbridge, Va. native, leaves the program with career averages of 19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game while shooting .436 (962-of-2207) from the floor. In 2010, Wright joined Staley as only UVa player with 2,000 career points, 700 career rebounds, 350 career steals and 300 career assists. Wright increased her scoring average each season of her career, and paced Virginia in scoring in three of her four years (freshman year, finished 2nd - 15.1 ppg). She was a State Farm Coaches' All-America Team regional finalist as a junior and sophomore and was the ACC Rookie of the Year her freshman year.
Monica Wright on Being selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx:
Q: Are you excited?
Wright: Yes, I am very excited.
Q: First reactions of heading to Minnesota?
WRIGHT: I definitely was nervous all day, but I was very excited once I heard I was going to Minnesota. I just ran through who I knew was playing for Minnesota in my head and I didn't realize I would be playing with Seimone Augustus, someone that I watched play when I was in high school, so I am very excited about the opportunity. I have heard so many great things about the Lynx and their program and their coaching staff and the players and I am very excited. My emotions are crazy right now.
Q: Did you have any feelings that you would end up here in Minnesota?
WRIGHT: I have heard things from a lot of different people, but as far as the draft goes it is... last year it was very unpredictable because of trades and things like that. I didn't want to get my heart set on one spot and then all of a sudden I wouldn't be going there. I did kind of have an idea, but I didn't want to put too much into it because of so much that could be going on.
On her defensive abilities -
WRIGHT: As far as defense goes, defense is a team... it is a team thing. It doesn't take one person to play great defense and stop a team, it takes everyone. I feel that my defense is the type of defense that reflects the team that I am with and I know the coaching in Minnesota is phenomenal so I am willing to do whatever she wants me to do defensively. Ultimately, it is a team thing and I am an ultimate team player, so I feel that wherever I am, as long as the coaches let me know what I need to do, I am going to do.
Q: What will your biggest personal contribution be to the Lynx? WRIGHT: It is interesting because I haven't played with them; I'm not sure what the nature of my role will be yet. But I am sure once training camp starts, I will be able to figure out where I can produce and I am sure that automatically, defense is something that I will need to produce. As of right now, I am not sure. It is hard to tell when you haven't stepped onto the court and played with the girls yet.
Q: Is it nice to know there won't be a lot of pressure on you with the moves the Lynx made this offseason?
WRIGHT: Yes, absolutely. It is just nice to know that I am playing with the players that I am playing with. So as far as pressure goes, I don't really pay attention to things like that, but I am just excited to play with these high caliber players and elevate my game to their level and just reflect whatever the coach wants us to.
Q: Where are you in terms of academics and what degree are you pursuing?
WRIGHT: I am actually only taking one class and I'll be able to finish up that class in Minnesota and graduation is May 23rd and I'll be done once I pass that class. My major is sociology.
Q: Are you familiar with the Twin Cities?
WRIGHT: No, all I know is that there is the Mall of America there.
Q: Have you heard anything about Minnesota and the nice summers?
WRIGHT: Yes, people have mentioned the snow to me, but the season is in the summer, so I don't think I will be getting too much of that snow. But, I am sure that the weather will be beautiful there. I have heard a lot of great things about the weather, but as far as I know, the shopping is phenomenal.
On being a role model -
WRIGHT: Growing up I was blessed to be able to have plenty of great role models and I was a product of WNBA Cares so I am just honored to even be able to be in the position where I am inspiring someone else and modeling myself in a way so that someone else can model themselves after. So as far as that goes, I am just excited to be in this position where I can influence someone in a good way.
Q: On being a prolific scorer and coming to a team where she doesn't necessarily have to have this ability, will this be a change for you?
WRIGHT: No, I don't think so. It has been a while, but in the past I have been on a team where there have been people that are just as dominate as I am scoring-wise. I like to think of myself as a chameleon, wherever you need me, that is where I will be. I will be whatever player that the team needs me to be. I don't have too much pride when it comes to stuff like that. I am the ultimate team player. I am just excited to get out onto the floor and bottom-line, I like to win.
Q: Can you play the point as well as shooting guard?
WRIGHT: I have played the point a couple of times. I am going to have to work on that a little bit, but if that is what the team needs me to do, then I will definitely be able to do it.
Q: How relieved are you that draft day is here and you know where you are going?
WRIGHT: Very relieved. Like I said before, it was a sigh of relief after my name was called and now the work begins. I definitely feel that my parents are also relieved. I feel for them with how nervous they were throughout this whole situation. But like I said, it was relief once my name was called.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Lynx on Twitter.
