Katie Douglas Retires After 14-Year WNBA Career

After a decorated 14-year career, five-time WNBA All-Star Katie Douglas announced her retirement from the league on Friday. Douglas, 34, won a WNBA championship as a member of the Indiana Fever in 2012 and retires as the league’s eighth-leading scorer.

Douglas entered the league in 2001 after a successful career at Purdue, where she helped lead the Boilermakers to their first NCAA championship in 1999. She was drafted 10th overall by the Orlando Miracle, who relocated to Uncasville, Conn., in 2003 and became the Connecticut Sun.

She was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the first time in 2005. She made the team from 2005 to 2007 and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Douglas, who established herself as one of the league’s best three-point shooters, made her first WNBA All-Star Game appearance in 2006 and took home MVP honors after a 16-point, 5-rebound and 4-assist performance. She returned to the All-Star Game in 2007.

In February 2008, the Sun traded Douglas to Indiana, where she stayed until 2014. Douglas helped guide the Fever to their first and only WNBA title in 2012 and was a member of the Fever’s two conference championship teams in 2009 and 2012.

She returned to the Connecticut Sun in 2014 and continued to put up the numbers that earned her the reputation as one of the most revered southpaws in the league. Douglas started 32 games and averaged 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 2014.

For her career, Douglas averaged 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals. The 6-foot guard/forward also enjoyed a long and successful overseas career, spending time with notable teams such as CSKA Moscow, Galatasaray and recent Polish league winner Wisla Can-Pack Krakow.

Douglas was named to the All-WNBA Team in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. She ranks second in WNBA history in playoff games started (55), fourth in steals (623) and fifth in three-point field goals made (727).