Jantel Lavender #42 Center

Background

2011 (Los Angeles): Averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds during her rookie campaign, registering 11 double-digit scoring efforts and making three starts…Pair of double-doubles, 25 points and 10 rebounds at Phoenix on Aug. 12 and 19 points, 12 boards vs. Tulsa on Sept. 9…Second-most double-dips among all WNBA rookies…Nearly tallied a third with 21 points, nine boards during July 9 game at Seattle…Shot an even .500 on the season, second-highest field goal percentage on the team…Selected in the first round, fifth overall of the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Sparks.

College: Lavender attended Ohio State where she was the only player, male or female, to be selected Big Ten Conference Player of the Year four straight seasons (2007-08 through 2010-11)…Scored in double-figures in each of her 136 games as a Buckeye, an NCAA record…Schools all-time career scoring leader (2,818 points), while 1,422 rebounds are a Big Ten record…Holds OSU’s record for most consecutive starts (136), which she obtained while leading the Buckeyes to three consecutive Big Ten tournament championships…Four-year career averages of 20.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game…Led Buckeyes to four straight NCAA Tournaments, including the Sweet 16 her final two years…As a senior in 2010-2011, was Named WBCA/State Farm and USBWA All-America for the third consecutive year ...Associated Press First Team All-America for the second straight season…In 2009-2010, Lavender was named Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding player for the second year in a row…First-ever Buckeye to eclipse 2,000 points as a junior…In 2007-2008, became the first Big Ten freshman – male or female – to win Player of the Year honors while averaging 17.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg and shot 51% from the field.