They have waited for this moment since the first time they dribbled a basketball.
Now 15 of the top women college basketball players in America will watch
their dream of reaching the WNBA unfold this Saturday when they hear WNBA President
Donna Orender call their names on draft day at the WNBA/NBA studio in Secaucus,
New Jersey.
The “Significant 15” making the trip to the New York area are:
| Name |
College/University |
Position |
Height |
| Batteast, Jacqueline |
Notre Dame |
Forward |
6’2” |
| Blackmon, Steffanie |
Baylor |
Forward |
6’2” |
| Braxton, Kara |
Georgia |
Forward |
6’6” |
| Ely, Shyra |
Tennessee |
Forward |
6’2” |
| Feenstra, Katie |
Liberty |
Center |
6’8” |
| Haynie, Kristin |
Michigan State |
Guard |
5’8” |
| Hodges, Roneeka |
Florida State |
Guard |
5’11” |
| Irvin, Sandora |
TCU |
Forward |
6’3” |
| Jackson, Dionnah |
Oklahoma |
Guard |
5’9” |
| Johnson, Temeka |
LSU |
Guard |
5’3” |
| Lyttle, Sancho |
Houston |
Center |
6’4” |
| Mann, Kristen |
UC Santa Barbara |
Forward |
6’2” |
| McCarville, Janel |
Minnesota |
Center |
6’2” |
| Wecker, Kendra |
Kansas State |
Forward |
5’11” |
| White, Tan |
Mississippi State |
Guard |
5’7” |
The group invited to attend the draft includes: Baylor’s Steffanie Blackmon,
who averaged 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds on her way to the 2005 Women’s
NCAA National Championship; LSU’s Temeka Johnson, who averaged 10.4 points
and 7.7 assists per contest as her Tigers made another trip to the Final Four;
Kristin Haynie, who helped Michigan State to the National Championship game
by averaging 10.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 3.3 steals in her senior
season; two-time All-American, Sandora Irvin of TCU, who averaged a double-double
in her senior season posting 19.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.
The 15 players will enjoy several unique New York and WNBA moments along with
their families. On Friday, the group will travel to the WNBA/NBA New York office
for a tour of the building as well as a chance to meet the top WNBA and NBA
officials. The players will then enjoy an opportunity to shop at the NBA’s
fifth avenue store. Then the group will move to the ESPN Zone in Times Square
for dinner.
The 2005 WNBA Draft will begin at noon ET at the NBA Entertainment studios
in Secaucus, New Jersey on Saturday, April 16. ESPN 2 will televise the first
round live with NBATV providing coverage of the second and third rounds. WNBA.com
will cover all three rounds, providing complete analysis and comprehensive
information on all 13 teams’ selections together with pre-draft coverage
of prospective draftees by Rebecca Lobo, ESPN’s Ann Meyers and Sacramento
Monarchs guard and ESPN analyst Kara Lawson.
