Stacey Dales-Schuman Retires From WNBA

Dales-Schuman

The Washington Mystics announced today that Mystics guard Stacey Dales-Schuman has retired. Dales-Schuman was the team�s first pick (third overall) in the 2002 WNBA Draft. A standout at the University of Oklahoma, Dales-Schuman led her team to the 2002 NCAA Championship game. She was Oklahoma�s first consensus All-American and was named to the Kodak, Associated Press and Women�s Basketball Journal first teams.

�A player of Stacey�s caliber will be greatly missed by our organization,� said Mystics Senior Vice President of Business and Basketball Operations Judy Holland Burton. �She has been an integral part of the Mystics family for the past three seasons and we wish her all the best.�

In 2002, Dales-Schuman joined ESPN as a studio analyst for their coverage of Women�s College Basketball. Recently, football and men�s basketball were added to her ESPN duties. In 2002, USA Today�s TV Columnist Rudy Martzke named her �Rookie Analyst of the Year� and in 2004 he named her �Best New face.�

�Over the past couple of�seasons my passion and spirit for�playing basketball has slowly�diminished.� Leaving the game�is not an easy decision to make, but one that I am�fully comfortable with for both myself and my family,� said Dales-Schuman.��I am grateful for the opportunity to have competed in the WNBA, and I wish my�teammates�and coaches success down the road.�

In three seasons with the Mystics, Dales-Schuman averaged 9.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 2.9 apg. She averaged 8.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 2.6 apg in the team�s playoff appearances in 2002 and 2004. She was named as a replacement to the All-Star team in 2002.

�I know that I am not alone when I say we will all miss Stacey�s presence on the court and in the locker room,� said Mystics Head Coach Michael Adams.