Minnesota Lynx Select Virginia's Monica Wright with Second Overall Selection of 2010 WNBA Draft
Published on April 8, 2010 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Minnesota Lynx News Release
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Lynx today selected Virginia's Monica Wright with the second overall pick of the 2010 WNBA Draft.
Wright, a 5-11 guard, capped off an illustrious collegiate career by becoming the first Cavalier in school history to earn AP First-Team All-America honors after a historic senior season. In 31 games, Wright averaged an ACC-high 23.7 points - good for seventh nationally -, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.7 steals per game en route to earning ACC Player of the Year honors. Wright's 734 total points her senior year surpassed her own school record of 696 points, set in 2008-09, and also helped Wright supplant the legendary Dawn Staley as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,540 career points, a total that also ranks third on the all-time ACC scoring list. The All-American tallied eight 30-point games and 22 20-points games her senior year and knocked down a team-high 31 three-pointers. In addition to garnering AP All-America honors, Wright was also named to the 2010 U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America team and the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.
Wright, a three-time AP All-American, also took home the WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors her senior season after totaling an astounding 115 steals, which was second nationally. Wright tied the school-record with 10 steals in a game vs. Liberty on Dec. 29 and had 11 games of 5+ steals in 2010.
A two-time Wade Trophy and Wooden Award finalist - each given annually to the top collegiate player - Wright started and played in every game during her four years as a Cavalier, totaling 133 career games played. Wright, a Woodbridge, Va. native, leaves the program with career averages of 19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game while shooting .436 (962-of-2207) from the floor. In 2010, Wright joined Staley as only UVa player with 2,000 career points, 700 career rebounds, 350 career steals and 300 career assists. Wright increased her scoring average each season of her career, and paced Virginia in scoring in three of her four years (freshman year, finished 2nd - 15.1 ppg). She was a State Farm Coaches' All-America Team regional finalist as a junior and sophomore and was the ACC Rookie of the Year her freshman year.
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