Courtney Vandersloot

WNBA's Chicago Sky  – No. 22
Point guard
Born	(1989-02-08) February 8, 1989 (age 23) Kent, Washington
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	130 lb (59 kg)
High school	Kentwood High School (Kent, Washington)
College	Gonzaga
Draft	3rd overall, 2011 Chicago Sky
Profile	WNBA Info Page
WNBA Teams
Chicago Sky (2011–present)
Non-WNBA Teams
Beşiktaş (2011–present)
Awards and Honors
1× WNBA All-Star (2011) WNBA All-Rookie Team (2011)

Courtney Vandersloot (born February 8, 1989 in Kent, Washington)^[1] is an American basketball player, currently a point guard with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA and Beşiktaş in the Turkish Women's Basketball League (TKBL). The third selection in the 2011 WNBA Draft,^[2] she had a successful first season in which she was selected for the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game^[3] and named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.^[4]

During her college career at Gonzaga University, she was the only women's player in West Coast Conference history to be named the conference's player of the year three times, and also the only player to be named MVP of the WCC Women's Tournament three times.^[5] In her final season at Gonzaga, she won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the top NCAA Division I women's player no taller than 5'8" (1.73 m) and Nancy Lieberman Award as the top player at her position in Division I women's basketball. Vandersloot is also the first Division I player, male or female, to have accumulated 2,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career,^[6] and only the second female overall (current Old Dominion head coach Karen Barefoot accomplished the feat at Division III Christopher Newport University).^[7]

Early life[link]

Born in the Seattle suburb of Kent, Washington to parents who both worked for Boeing,^[8] Vandersloot grew up in a neighborhood with many children her age, and said in a 2011 interview that "all we did was play sports, all sports." Her father built a sports court with a basketball goal behind the family house, but she almost never played there, choosing instead to play at a hoop in front of a neighbor's house where she could easily be seen by other children in the neighborhood. Most important to her future development as a player, she regularly played against boys.^[5] During the third grade, she wrote a school paper about her dreams of one day playing in the WNBA.^[8]

While Vandersloot regularly played basketball and many other sports as a child—she was also on a fast-pitch softball team that was runner-up in a Washington state tournament at age 11— her favorite sport was soccer; she had a poster of Mia Hamm on her bedroom wall.^[8] She did not concentrate on basketball until high school:

High school[link]

Vandersloot became a basketball star at Kentwood High School in her hometown. Her coach, Keith Hennig, a former player at Central Washington University who is 6 inches taller than Vandersloot, regularly played one-on-one against her either before or after the team's practice. He would later say, "I did not take it easy on her at all. I was more physical than anything she's ever been used to. At times, I wasn't too nice. I would ride her and foul her. I'd put my hand in her face and she would whine and complain about fouls. I'd say, 'There's no fouls out here.' " She eventually reached the point where she regularly beat her coach off the dribble.^[8]

A pivotal moment in her life came during the summer before her sophomore year, when she went with a friend to the Gonzaga University girls' basketball camp. She would say about the trip in 2011, "I just fell in love with this place. I felt so comfortable here." The Gonzaga women's basketball staff was equally enthusiastic about her, except for head coach Kelly Graves, who had little opportunity to see her during the camp. Graves would finally get to see Vandersloot at length in her junior year, on the day before the 2006 Washington Class 4A state tournament. He offered her a scholarship after seeing her practice, even though he did not stay for the tournament.^[5]

That season, she had averaged more than 18 points and 7 assists as she led Kentwood to its first state tournament appearance; they would lose in the second round of the tournament to Spokane's University High, led by future Tennessee star Angie Bjorklund. After that season, Vandersloot was asked by many people if she would consider Washington or another Pac-10 school, but decided against it after a Pac-10 assistant told Hennig she was too small.^[5] She would eventually sign with Gonzaga in November 2006, during her senior year at Kentwood; she noted in 2011, "I wasn't really being highly recruited and I just didn't want to go through the stressful recruiting process, so I committed early to Gonzaga."^[8]

Vandersloot took her game to another level as a senior, averaging 26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals while leading Kentwood to a third-place finish in the state tournament; their only loss was in the state semifinals. She scored 113 points in the tournament, one shy of the state record for a girls' tournament, and was named MVP. Vandersloot was also consensus first-team all-state, and was named the state's player of the year by the Seattle Times.^[9] Vandersloot was rated as the No. 64 national prospect,^[10] and No. 35 among guards,^[11] by Scout.com.

College career[link]

By her own admission, Vandersloot came to Gonzaga as a shy freshman. During that first season, Graves suggested that she call the school's greatest point guard in history for advice—Hall of Famer John Stockton. Vandersloot would recall that it "took me a couple of weeks to build up,"^[5] and when she finally called Stockton for the first time, she hoped that she would reach his voice mail so she wouldn't have to talk.^[12] Vandersloot eventually worked with Stockton throughout her Gonzaga career.^[5]

As a freshman in 2007–08, she was the West Coast Conference newcomer of the year and named to the 10-member All-WCC first team after averaging 10.3 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game entering the WCC tournament, finishing in the top five in the WCC in the latter two categories while the Zags went 13–1 in conference play and earned the tournament's top seed.^[13] However, the Bulldogs lost in the WCC final to San Diego^[14] and ultimately missed out on the NCAA Tournament, playing instead in the WNIT. They defeated UC Davis in the first round^[15] before falling to Colorado in the second round.^[16]

In her 2008–09 sophomore season, she set a school record in assists with 239;^[5] at the end of the regular season, her average of 7.3 per game led the conference, and she was also third in the conference in scoring at 16.4 per game.^[18] Vandersloot won the first of what would be three WCC Player of the Year awards.^[18] The Bulldogs went on to win the WCC Tournament, with Vandersloot named tournament MVP.^[19] In the NCAA Tournament, the Zags defeated Xavier for the program's first NCAA Tournament win^[20] before narrowly losing in the second round to Pitt.^[21]

As a junior in 2009–10, Vandersloot led Division I in assists, averaging 9.4 per game,^[23] while leading the Zags to an unbeaten record in conference play.^[24] During that season, she broke her own school record for assists in a season with 321,^[23] and also broke the Gonzaga and WCC records for career assists.^[5] Vandersloot was again named both WCC Player of the Year^[24] and WCC Tournament MVP^[25] while leading the Bulldogs to a second consecutive WCC Tournament title. In the NCAA Tournament, Vandersloot led the Zags one round farther than in 2009, upsetting No. 2 seed (and 2011 champion) Texas A&M before losing in the Sweet Sixteen to the Xavier team they had knocked out the year before.^[20]

Her senior year at Gonzaga, 2010–11, can be summed up as a season of milestones. She led the WCC in both scoring and assists on the way to a second straight unbeaten season in conference play.^[27] Vandersloot was named WCC Player of the Year for an unprecedented^[5] third time.^[27] The Zags again won the WCC Tournament, and Vandersloot was named tournament MVP for the third straight time,^[28] also becoming the first women's player in WCC history to win that honor three times.^[5]

In the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs were a No. 11 seed, but had the advantage of playing their first-round and potential second-round games at their home court of McCarthey Athletic Center. They would take full advantage of their home court in the first two rounds. The Zags, seeded No. 11 in their region, opened the tournament with a 92–86 upset of Iowa, with Vandersloot scoring a career-high 34 points.^[29] In their second-round game against No. 3 seed UCLA, Vandersloot finished with 29 points and 17 assists, one assist shy of the record for a Division I tournament game, as the Zags took down the Bruins 89–75. During that game, she became the first player in Division I history to amass 2,000 career points and 1,000 career assists.^[6] The win advanced them to the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight year, and to a regional tournament that would be held less than two miles (3 km) from the Gonzaga campus at Spokane Arena.

During the Bulldogs' next game, a 76–69 win over Louisville, Vandersloot broke the Division I women's record for assists in a season previously held by Suzie McConnell. She finished with 29 points, 7 assists, and 7 steals as the Zags became the lowest-seeded team ever to reach a regional final in the women's tournament.^[30] Their tournament run, and Vandersloot's college career, would end one game later as Stanford would defeat the Zags 83–60. While she finished with 26 points, only four came in the second half.^[31] In addition to her other milestones during the season, she also broke the Gonzaga single-season scoring record.^[32]

Vandersloot became one of the most decorated players of the 2010–11 season. She won the women's Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the top Division I player no taller than 5'8" (1.73 m),^[34] and the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in Division I women's basketball.^[32] She was also named to multiple All-America teams. The AP named her a second-team All-America; she became the first women's player in WCC history to be named to that specific team.^[35] She also was named to the five-woman Wooden All-America Team, another honor never before achieved by a WCC player.^[36] Finally, she was named to the 10-player USBWA All-America team, becoming the first Gonzaga player so honored,^[37] and the 10-member State Farm Coaches All-America team, another first for a WCC player.^[38]

Her impact on the Gonzaga program can be measured by another statistic—home attendance. The year before she arrived in Spokane, the Bulldogs averaged 1,492 with a team that would make its first NCAA Tournament appearance. By her junior year, attendance had risen to 2,935, and rose again to 3,824 in her senior season, with the Zags selling out the McCarthey Athletic Center twice before the NCAA tournament.^[5]

Professional career[link]

Vandersloot was widely considered to be one of the top prospects in the 2011 WNBA Draft. Her relatively small size had been a subject of concern, as was her defense—despite averaging 4.5 steals per game in the 2011 NCAA tournament and ending her Gonzaga career with 366.^[39] However, she was seen as likely to be one of the top seven picks,^[40] and was ultimately picked third overall by the Chicago Sky.^[2] One indicator of her likely draft position was that Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn, whose team needed depth at point guard going into the 2011 season, signed Shannon Bobbitt in February, convinced that Vandersloot would be picked before the Fever's turn at #9.^[39]

John Stockton has given Vandersloot high praise, stating, "I don’t want to dramatize it too much but she’s like Gretzky in hockey. There is something that separates Courtney from others. (Adam) Morrison (a recent Gonzaga men's standout) was a little bit the same way."^[5]

In her rookie season, she became the Sky's regular starter at the point, ultimately starting 26 of the team's 34 games.^[41] Her average of 3.7 assists per game was 11th in the league^[41] and second among rookies^[42] She was also named as an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game,^[3] and was one of the five members of the 2011 All-Rookie Team, gaining 10 of a possible 11 votes from the league's head coaches.^[4]

During the WNBA season, she signed with the Turkish club Beşiktaş, effective with the 2011–12 European season.^[43] Because the WNBA season is held in the northern hemisphere summer, the traditional offseason for basketball throughout the world, many of the league's players participate in overseas leagues during the traditional season and return to their WNBA teams in the summer.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Courtney Vandersloot at Gonzaga University

Shay Murphy

WNBA's Chicago Sky  – No. 7
Guard
Born	(1985-04-15) April 15, 1985 (age 27) Canoga Park, California
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	164 lb (74 kg)
College	USC
Draft	15th overall, 2007 Minnesota Lynx
Profile	WNBA Info Page
WNBA Teams
Minnesota Lynx (2007) Detroit Shock (2008) Washington Mystics (2008) Indiana Fever (2009–2010) Chicago Sky (2010-present)
Non-WNBA Teams
Ros Casares Valencia (2011–present)

Eshaya "Shay" Murphy (born April 15, 1985, in Canoga Park, California) is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.

Murphy attended college at USC and graduated in 2007. Following her collegiate career, she was selected 15th overall in the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Murphy has a brother George who attend the same high school as her.

The rookie played a reserve role for the Lynx in 2007, averaging 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. On June 22, 2008 Murphy was traded to the Detroit Shock for LaToya Thomas. On August 12, 2008 Murphy was traded along with Tasha Humphrey to the Washington Mystics for Taj McWilliams-Franklin. After being waived by the Mystics, the Indiana Fever signed her on June 11, 2009. She now plays for the Chicago Sky, being signed halfway through the 2011 season.

Murphy has signed with Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague Women for the 2011–2012 season, helping them to win the championship in her Euroleague rookie season.

External links[link]

• WNBA Player Profile
• WNBA Prospect Profile
• Murphy traded to the Detroit Shock
• Murphy traded to the Washington Mystics

Sylvia Fowles

WNBA's Chicago Sky  – No. 34
Center
Born	(1985-10-06) October 6, 1985 (age 26) Miami, Florida
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg)
High school	Gulliver Preparatory
College	LSU
Draft	2nd overall, 2008 Chicago Sky
Profile	WNBA Info Page
WNBA Teams
Chicago Sky (2008–present)
Non-WNBA Teams
Spartak Moscow (2008–2010) Galatasaray Medical Park (2010–present)
Awards and Honors
2× WNBA All-Star (2009, 2011) 1× Defensive Player of the Year
Medal record Women's basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold Beijing 2008 Team competition

Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the Women's National Basketball Association. She is 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall and weighs 200 lbs (90.7 kg).

Personal[link]

She was born in Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, the daughter of Arrittio Fowles. She has three brothers, Walter, Jeremy, Morris, and one sister, Dorothy. Sylvia grew up in some of the rougher neighborhoods of Miami-Dade, including Coconut Grove, Little Haiti, and the Victory Home Housing Projects. She attended Little River Elementary School, Horace Mann Middle School, Miami Edison Senior and graduated from Gulliver Preparatory School.

High school career[link]

She also led Edison Senior High School to two state championships before transferring to Gulliver Preparatory School. Fowles averaged 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds at Gulliver and led them to the class 3A state championship against Melbourne Central Catholic High School. Fowles was also named a McDonalds All-American. Fowles was named a WBCA All-American.^[1] She participated in the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored fifteen points, and earned MVP honors.^[2]

College career[link]

Fowles played in all 36 of LSU's games as a freshman, helping the team to an appearance in the NCAA Final Four. As a sophomore, she started all 35 games and again helped the team reach the Final Four. In her junior year, she led LSU to the Final Four again and earned All-American honors.

Fowles was named to the pre-season All-American team prior to her senior season. She dunked the ball in the Lady Tigers' game against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on November 21, 2007, becoming the sixth woman to dunk in an American college game.^[3]

In December 2007, Fowles suffered a partial tear of the meniscus of her right knee during a game against the University of Miami. She then underwent surgery and missed several weeks of play.^[4]

Fowles was named the 2008 SEC Player of the Year.^[5] During a March 24, 2008 NCAA Tournament game, she broke the all-time SEC record for career rebounds. She led LSU to the Final Four again in her senior year.

Fowles (right, #34) pitted against Candace Parker in the opening tipoff of the 2008 NCAA Final Four

Fowles finished additional academic credits after beginning her professional basketball career and received her bachelor's degree from LSU in the spring of 2009.^[6]

WNBA career[link]

Fowles was selected 2nd overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA Draft. After being drafted second overall, she is averaging 10.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Chicago Sky.

Fowles dunked on her second attempt during the 2009 WNBA All Star Game while representing the Eastern Conference after everyone on both teams cleared out of her way. Her first attempt clanged off the bottom of the rim. The game took place on July 25, 2009 at Mohegan Sun, the home of the Connecticut Sun. She is the third WNBA player to dunk in an all star game, following Michelle Snow in 2006 and Lisa Leslie in 2005.

Overseas career[link]

Fowles played for Spartak Moscow in Russia during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 WNBA off-seasons. ^[7][8]

She will be playing for Galatasaray Medical Park of Turkey in the 2010-11 season.^[9]

USA Basketball[link]

Fowles is a member of the United States women's national basketball team and she earned a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Fowles was again invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009.^[10] The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team traveled to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they competed in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.^[10]

Fowles was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball.^[11] This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women to be held in the Czech Republic during September and October 2010.^[12]

Fowles was one of 21 finalists for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball payers, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London.^[13]

WNBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Awards and honors[link]

See also[link]

• 2008 WNBA Draft

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Sylvia Fowles at WNBA.com
• Sylvia Fowles at Basketball-Reference.com
• LSUSports.net biography
• Official LSU National Player of the Year Promotional Site
• http://www.bdasports.com/ssp/athletes?bio=160