National stars join NWBL

by NWBL Press Release
December 23, 2001 - National Women's Basketball League (NWBL)

NWBL Press Release

SPRINGFIELD, MA - The National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) held its 2002 draft at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. The NWBL Pro League enters it's second professional season this February 2002 with six teams - Atlanta Justice, Kansas City Legacy, Chicago Blaze, Birmingham Power, Springfield Spirit and the Houston Stealth.

The NWBL pro team franchises will play a 20-game season from February 5 to March 30, 2002 that culminates with the 2nd NWBL Pro Cup to be held on March 28-30 in San Antonio, Texas, the same city that hosts the NCAA Women's Final Four that week.

First-round draft choices were Rebecca Lobo (SPRINGFIELD SPIRIT) Tamika Catchings (CHICAGO BLAZE); Trisha Stafford Odom (HOUSTON STEALTH); Betty Lennox (BIRMINGHAM POWER); Anna DeForge (KANSAS CITY LEGACY) and Tracy Henderson (ATLANTA JUSTICE)

"This was an unprecedented, outstanding draft for our young professional league and no doubt with the NWBL franchise teams drafting so many world-renowned players, we look forward to a very exciting second season in the NWBL this spring 2002," stated NWBL President/Founder Patrick Alexander.

"The fact that teams drafted fifteen current WNBA players, former Olympians, and numerous players with foreign experience is a testimony to the overall-strength and talent the NWBL brings to professional women's basketball in the spring here in the United States," added Director of Player Personnel/Co-Founder Mike Walker.

Although every team was extremely pleased with their draft choices, Steven Fox, the owner of the Springfield Spirit, was elated knowing that he had just drafted the "Fab Five of UCONN" - Rebecca Lobo, Kara Wolters, Shea Ralph, Rita Williams and Christine Rigby as he went through the draft at the Basketball Hall of Fame in his hometown of Springfield.

NWBL PRO DRAFT 2002
Basketball Hall of Fame - Springfield, MA - December 22, 2001

SPRINGFIELD SPRIT
1.	Rebecca Lobo - UCONN
2.	Kara Wolters - UCONN
3.	Rita Williams - UCONN
4.	Shea Ralph - UCONN
5.	Christine Rigby - UCONN
6.	Jamie Cournoyer - BOSTON COLLEGE
7.	Liz Tucker - UNIVERSITY ALBANY
8.	Kristen McCory - UNIVERSITY SYRACUSE
9.	Meagan Leahy - NOTRE DAME
10.	Beth Kuzmeski -
11.	Kristen McCormick - UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
12.	Passed

CHICAGO BLAZE
1.	Tamika Catchings - TENNESEE
2.	E.C. Hill - NORTHERN ILLINOIS
3.	Camille Cooper - PURDUE
4.	Rhonda Smith - LONG BEACH STATE
5.	Kina Brown - WESTERN MICHIGAN
6.	Staci Carney - PURDUE
7.	Melissa Jo Clark - SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
8.	Elena Lovate - MISSOURI
9.	Kamellah Morgan - SOUTHERN INDIANA
10.	Roslyn Turner - CALUMET COLLEGE ST. JOSEPHS
11.	M-Fon Udoka - DE PAUL UNIVERSITY
12.	Felicity Willis - ARIZONA

HOUSTON STEALTH
1.	Trisha Stafford-Odom - CALIF0RNIA BERKLEY
2.	Tamicha Jackson - LOUISIANA TECH
3.	LaCharlotte Smith - MISSISSIPPI STATE
4.	Sharonda Lassiter - UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
5.	Anitra Davis - STEVEN F. AUSTIN
6.	Erica Routt - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
7.	D-Dra Rucker - SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
8.	Debra Williams - LOUISIANA TECH
9.	Pat Lucky - UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
10.	Darla Simpson - UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
11.	Katy Lida - UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
12.	Norma Noel -  UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

BIRMINGHAM POWER
1.	Betty Lennox - LOUISIANA TECH
2.	Kelly Miller -  UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
3.	Coco Miller - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
4.	Jacqueline Enteminger - LANDER UNIVERSITY
5.	Shawnetta Stewart - RUTGERS
6.	Tara Williams - AUBURN
7.	Jennifer Holmes - VANDERBILT
8.	Karin Karlin - ARKANSAS
9.	Tequilla Allen - ALABAMA
10.	Yaleka Barnes - ALABAMA
11.	Shana Askew - AUBURN
12.	Carolyn Jones Young - AUBURN

KANSAS CITY LEGACY
1.	Anna DeForge - NEBRASKA
2.	Brooke Schwartz - NEBRASKA
3.	Keisha Bonds - MISSOURI
4.	Jenny Schmidt - ILLINOIS STATE
5.	Lauren Powers - UMKC
6.	Erica Bradford - COLORADO
7.	Anna Hull - UMKC
8.	Rae Ann West - NORTHERN ARIZONA
9.	Nicki Rouillard -  LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
10.	Katrisa  O'Neil - TEXAS TECH
11.	Cherlyn Morris - SOUTHERN NAZZARENE
12.	Andrea Jones - KANSAS STATE

ATLANTA JUSTICE
1.	Tracey Henderson - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
2.	Keisha Ford - GEORGIA TECH 
3.	Tamara Stocks - FLORIDA
4.	Maxann Reese - MICHIGAN STATE
5.	Denee Rivera - HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
6.	Sherronda Mifflin - CLARK ATLANTA
7.	Leslie McElrath - GEORGIA STATE
8.	Safiyah Farrakan - VIRGINIA STATE
9.	Angie Williams - LIFE UNIVERSITY
10.	Katrina McClain - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
11.	Chariysa Davis - CENTRAL FLORIDA
12.	Passed

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National Women's Basketball League Stories from December 23, 2001

• National stars join NWBL - OSC Original by NWBL Press Release

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