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WNBA Indiana Fever

San Diego State Guard Highlights Fever Draft

April 8, 2010 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


INDIANAPOLIS - San Diego State guard Jené Morris was chosen with the 11th pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft, highlighting an Indiana draft that included Armelie Lumanu of Mississippi State and Joy Cheek of Duke, with the No. 23 and No. 35 selections, respectively.

A two-time honorable mention AP All-American, Morris led the Mountain West Conference with 17.1 points per game while pacing the Aztecs to their first MWC championship. She also led the league in steals three years in-a-row, including totals of 100 as a junior and 101 as a senior. She was twice named the MWC's Defensive Player of the Year and guided the Aztecs to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and a 23-11 record as a senior.

Originally from San Francisco, Morris is the first player from San Diego State ever to be drafted into the WNBA. She played three seasons at SDSU after transferring from the University of California.

"I know we have gravitated toward selecting defensive players, but with Jené Morris we were looking more at her scoring," said Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. "She is so fast and quick, with a quick release on the ball and a good jump shot. She can create a shot for herself. We knew her pedigree early in her career was defense, but honestly what we liked was her offense."

Talking about each of her first two picks, Head Coach Lin Dunn echoed those sentiments: "I don't want anybody to confuse their defensive abilities with the fact that they can't score. We value defense, rebounding and playing hard. I think both Jené Morris and Armelie Lumanu reflect that. They are very athletic, strong, physical and quick."

The defending Eastern Conference champion Fever, which has ranked in the top three in the WNBA in steals and scoring defense in each of the past five seasons, kept defense and athleticism as its theme for the second and third rounds of the draft. Lumanu was the defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference and a two-time member of the SEC All-Defensive Team. Cheek is a long and athletic post player who was named all-tournament at the Memphis Regional where the Blue Devils fell one game shy of the Final Four. She was a member of the All-ACC third team and a finalist for the Lowe's Senior Class Award.

"I am really excited," said Morris, moments after her selection. "The fact that I am going to a successful program is really exciting for me. To play with Tamika Catchings is amazing. I have watched her growing up and in high school. She is such an amazing player. What I know about the Fever is that they play defense. They are a defensive team and I have prided myself on defense my whole life. I think that is where I am going to fit in with them. I can't wait to get there and get to work!"

Round Overall Pick Player School Pos HGt PPG RPG APG SPG

1 11 Jené Morris San Diego State G 5-9 17.1 2.7 2.9 3.0

2 23 Armelie Lumanu Mississippi State G-F 5-9 12.4 7.3 4.0 2.6

3 35 Joy Cheek Duke F 6-1 9.9 5.9 1.3 1.5

Following its first visit to the WNBA Finals and three consecutive sellout crowds during the 2009 WNBA Playoffs, the Indiana Fever is eager to pursue a sixth straight playoffs appearance and a return trip to the Finals in 2010. The Fever tips off the 2010 season by hosting the Washington Mystics on Saturday, May 15 (7:00 p.m.). Season tickets are available at FeverBasketball.com or by calling (317) 917-2500.

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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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