Chicago Sky Selects Four Players in WNBA Rookie Draft
April 4, 2007 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release
CHICAGO - The Chicago Sky selected four players in the WNBA College Draft in Cleveland today: Armintie Price, Carla Thomas, Stephanie Raymond and Jenna Rubino. The Chicago Sky coaching staff, lead by General Manager and Head Coach Bo Overton, participated in the draft from Chicago via teleconference.
The Chicago Sky had the third and tenth draft pick in the first round, and selected Armintie Price from the University of Mississippi as its third pick and Carla Thomas from Vanderbilt University as its tenth pick. Price was selected as a Kodak All- American, and one of only four seniors selected. Price was named the 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in SEC history to win the award twice, and was also a unanimous selection to the 2007 All-SEC First Team. The 5'9" guard averaged a team-leading and career-best 19.1 points per game during her senior season, led the NCAA and SEC with 3.7 steals per game and also averaged 8.8 rebounds per game. An outstanding individual on and off the court, Price faced the most difficult obstacle of her young career, dealing with the death of her mother to ovarian cancer last summer.
Thomas, a 6'3" forward, earned an All-SEC Honorable Mention in 2006, was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2005, SEC All-Freshmen Team in 2004 and was the first freshman since Mississippi State All-American LaToya Thomas to be selected as the SEC Tournament's MVP (2004) as a freshman. In her senior year, Thomas averaged 16 points per game, a career best. As a junior, Thomas also became only the 11th Vanderbilt player to reach 1,000 points before reaching their senior season, scoring in double digits in 23 of her 30 games.
"Armintie Price could have gone earlier in the draft, so we're thrilled to get this kind of player with the third pick," said Chicago Sky Head Coach Bo Overton. "And Carla really helps us at the post position - she can score inside, can shoot outside and can defend."
Stephanie Raymond of Northern Illinois University was selected in the second round. A Rockford, IL native, the 5'5" guard averaged 14.9 points per game at NIU. She is an excellent three-point shooter, and ranks third all-time at NIU in three-pointers made with 133 and set the NIU single season record for steals as a sophomore, ranking seventh on the career list with 212.
Third-round pick Jenna Rubino is a 6'0" guard from DePaul University. Rubino averaged 10.3 points per game at DePaul, ranking among the Blue Demon's all-time leaders in three-point field goals (10th-121) and three-point field goal percentage (11th- .352).
ESPN2 provided exclusive first round coverage of the draft and continued coverage of the second and third rounds on ESPNU and NBA TV. Lindsey Harding of Duke was the first draft pick overall, selected by the Phoenix Mercury and then traded to the Minnesota Lynx for Tangela Smith.
Sky Training Camp begins on April 24 at the Moody Bible Institute. The Sky will open camp with 15 players including those selected in the Rookie Draft today and off- season additions Monique Currie, Dominique Canty and Kayte Christensen. By the Sky's first game on May 20, the active player roster will consist of 11 players.
All of the Chicago Sky WNBA Draft picks will be participating in a live forum on the Chicago Sky web site, www.chicagosky.net, tomorrow at noon. Sky fans are encouraged to log on and interact with the new Chicago Sky players.
The Chicago Sky is the newest of 13 teams in the WNBA, the longest-running women's professional sports league in the world. The Sky celebrated it inaugural season in 2006. For more information, visit www.chicagosky.net.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from April 4, 2007
- Lindsey Harding, Jessica Davenport taken as top two picks in 2007 WNBA Draft - WNBA
- Monarchs select Jessica Dickson in second round of 2007 WNBA Draft - Sacramento Monarchs
- Chicago Sky Selects Four Players in WNBA Rookie Draft - Chicago Sky
- Seattle Storm Select Katie Gearlds in 2007 WNBA Draft - Seattle Storm
- Mercury add four players in second, third rounds - Phoenix Mercury
- Sun Select Four Players in 2007 WNBA Draft - Connecticut Sun
- Shock Selects Latta In 2007 WNBA Draft - Detroit Shock
- Fever Selects 6-7 Bales to Highlight 2007 Draft Picks - Indiana Fever
- Mystics select Bernice Mosby - Washington Mystics
- Silver Stars deal draft pick Davenport for Hammon - San Antonio Stars
- Minnesota Lynx Make Three WNBA Second-Round Selections - Minnesota Lynx
- Mercury acquire All-Star Tangela Smith - Phoenix Mercury
- Liberty Obtain Draft Rights to Davenport, Trade Hammon - New York Liberty
- Minnesota Lynx Acquire First Overall Pick Lindsey Harding in Exchange for Tangela Smith - Minnesota Lynx
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