Two C-USA Players Selected in WNBA Draft

Deanna Jackson

UAB’s Deanna Jackson and DePaul’s Lenae Williams were selected in the 2002 WNBA Draft, which concluded Friday in New York. It marks the third time in five years that C-USA has had multiple selections in the WNBA Draft.

UAB’s Deanna Jackson and DePaul’s Lenae Williams were selected in the 2002 WNBA Draft, which concluded Friday in New York. Jackson became the first Blazer to be drafted by the WNBA when the Cleveland Rockers made her the eighth pick overall of the first round. The Detroit Shock selected Williams in the second round with the 18th overall pick.

Jackson has recovered from a broken right fibula suffered against Ball State on Dec. 29. At the time of her injury, Jackson was leading the nation in scoring (26.2 ppg) and rebounding (12.3 rpg). She holds the UAB career record and ranks second on the C-USA career list for rebounding with 1,118, while also placing fourth on C-USA all-time record book with 2,144 points. In her four-year career, Jackson earned Women’s Basketball Journal second team All-America honors in 2001, while also being named 2001 C-USA Player of the Year. Jackson, as the eighth overall pick, becomes the second-highest draft pick in C-USA history. In 2000, Tulane’s Grace Daley was chosen in the first round with the fifth overall selection by the Minnesota Lynx .

Williams recently finished her career second in DePaul history and ranked fourth in C-USA career laurels with 2,046 points. She also became only the third player in NCAA history to reach 330 three-pointers in her career. This season, she ranked second in Conference USA in scoring average at 22.5 per game and connected on a league-high 93 three-pointers. She earned honorable mention All-America honors and was named first team All-C-USA. She becomes the fourth Blue Demon to play in the WNBA and is the highest-picked DePaul player in league history.

C-USA currently has nine former players in professional basketball: Barbara Farris (Tulane)-Detroit Shock, Grace Daley (Tulane)-New York Liberty, Tamika Whitmore (Memphis)-New York Liberty, Tawanna Alhaleem (DePaul)-Orlando Miracle, Markita Aldridge (Charlotte)-Washington Mystics, Latasha Byears (DePaul)-Los Angeles Sparks, Janell Burse (Tulane)-Minnesota Lynx, Brandy Reed (Southern Miss) –Phoenix Mercury and LaTonya Johnson (Memphis)-Utah Starzz.



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