Detroit Shock Signs Ruth Riley, Katie Smith to Multi-Year Extensions
April 24, 2006 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Detroit Shock News Release
Auburn Hills, MI - Detroit Shock Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Bill Laimbeer announced today that the Shock have signed 2003 WNBA Finals MVP Ruth Riley and five-time All-Star forward Katie Smith to multi-year contract extensions while also finalizing deals with third round draft pick Zane Teilane and rookie free agent Ryan Coleman of Eastern Michigan. Per team policy, financial terms of the agreements were not released.
Riley, who is entering her fourth season with the Shock, joined the team during the 2002-03 off-season as the first overall selection in the WNBA Dispersal Draft. She posted the best numbers of her professional career that year helping the Shock to the 2003 WNBA Championship while earning Finals MVP honors. In 2004, Riley earned an Olympic Gold Medal as a member of the US Women's Senior National Team that competed in Athens, and in 2005 she was named to her first WNBA All-Star team.
Smith, the leading scorer in US women's professional basketball history, was acquired last season in a July 30 trade with the Minnesota Lynx. Following the trade in 13 games for Detroit, she averaged 9.5 points while connecting on 32.7 percent of her three-point field goal attempts. Despite playing in just over one third of the season for Detroit, smith's 18 three pointers were tied for the second most on the team. Over her WNBA career, Smith has averaged 17.1 points while connecting on 36.9 percent of her three pointers. She is the WNBA's career leader in three pointers made (474) and attempted (1294).
Detroit selected 6-7 Western Illinois center Zane Teilane in the third round (No. 35 overall) of the 2006 WNBA Draft. Originally from Riga, Latvia, Teilane was the Mid-Continent Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior, and a three-time member of the All-Mid Continent First Team (2004, 2005, 2006). She averaged 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while connecting on 52.9 percent of her field goals and 75.2 percent of her free throw attempts in her years at Western Illinois.
Coleman is a 5-8 guard from Eastern Michigan who earned Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-America honors following her junior and senior years. As a senior she averaged a team-high 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while connecting on 33.7 percent of her three-pointers and 78.9 percent of her free throw attempts. During her career with the Eagles, Coleman averaged 15.6 points and connected on 38.0 percent of her three pointers.
Single-game tickets for the Detroit Shock may be purchased at The Palace Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets by calling (248) 377-0100 or logging on to www.detroitshock.com The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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