Shock Selects Latta In 2007 WNBA Draft
April 4, 2007 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Detroit Shock News Release
Auburn Hills, MI - The Detroit Shock selected North Carolina guard and two-time All-American Ivory Latta with the 11th pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft this afternoon adding to an already deep roster looking to repeat as WNBA Champions.
Much of the pre-draft talk surrounding Detroit's options centered around the team trading the selection, but Latta was available to the Shock mere days after advancing to the 2007 NCAA Final Four.
"I said all along that we would keep our pick if we felt like we could draft a player who had the chance to make an impact in the WNBA down the road, and we got even more than that in Ivory Latta," said Laimbeer. "She was at the top of most team's draft boards at the start of the collegiate season because she can shoot the three, penetrate and distribute the basketball, and she will bring all of those skills to the WNBA. With a talented, veteran roster to play behind, she'll have plenty of time to get acclimated to the level of play in our league, and learn from the best rotation of guards in the WNBA."
In being named to the 2007 NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team, Latta joined Former WNBA Rookie of the Year Tracy Reid as the lone Tar Heel players to receive the honor on multiple occasions. As a Senior, Latta paced North Carolina in scoring (16.2), three point field goal percentage (.402, 107-266), assists (4.2) and free throw percentage (.855, 112-131). During her junior season, ESPN.com, USBWA, GballMag.com and Basketball Times all named Latta their 2006 Player of the Year.
A complete bio for Latta, list of players selected in the 2007 WNBA Draft, and the current Shock roster are attached.
Single-game tickets for the Detroit Shock went on sale today at noon, and may be purchased at The Palace Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (248) 377-0100, or logging on to www.detroitshock.com.
Experience the two-time WNBA Champion Detroit Shock presented by AirMaster Heating and Air Conditioning, a premiere LENNOX dealer by calling 248.377.0100 or by logging on to www.DetroitShock.com. The Shock's home opener vs. the Sacramento Monarchs is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 (Bill Laimbeer's birthday) at 3:30 p.m..
Ivory Latta - 12
5-6 F
Birth Date September 24, 1984
College University of North Carolina `07
High School York Comprehensive (York, SC)
WNBA Experience Rookie
Career Transactions Selected by the Detroit Shock in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2007 WNBA Draft . . .
Senior Season Named to the NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team . . . Honred as an AP All-American, Wade Trophy Finalist and Naismith Trophy candidate . . . Named to the All-ACC First Team, and earned WBCA Player of the Month honors in January . . . Led UNC to the Final Four for the second straight season . . .
Junior Season: Selected as National Player of the Year by ESPN.com, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), Gballmag.com and Basketball Times ... Runner-up for Associated Player of the Year honors ... Nancy Lieberman Award winner as point guard of the year ... Consensus All-America selection, UNC's first since Tracy Reid in 1998 ... Voted 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, the first UNC player so honored since 1998 ... Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament Cleveland Regional ... Led UNC to the Final Four . . . ACC Tournament MVP for the second year in a row as UNC won the second of back-to-back titles ...
Sophomore Season: Voted ACC Tournament MVP after leading the Tar Heels to the title ... She averaged 25.7 points (including a career-high 32 in the semifinals) and shot .500 from the field in UNC's three games ... Her tournament performance earned her WBCA National Player of the Month honors for March ... Region finalist for Kodak All-America honors ... A first-team All-ACC pick with the third-highest number of votes overall ... Named to the All-America third team by the Associated Press ... As a third-team pick, is the first UNC player to earn A.P. All-America honors since Tracy Reid in 1998 ... Named one of the top six passers in the game by ESPN.com ... Finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award ... Two-time ACC Player of the Week ...
Freshman Season: Named to the All-ACC second team ... Received the sixth-highest number of votes overall, missing the first team by one spot ... A unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman team ... Selected for the All-ACC Tournament team after averaging a team-high 17.7 points in the Tar Heels' three games ... Voted the ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year ...
Personal Born in McConnells, Couth Carolina . . . Majored in exercise and sports science . . . Is the all-time leading scorer in South Carolina history (boys and girls) with a total of 4,319 career points ... She shattered the girls' record, formerly held by Allison Feaster with 3,427, by almost 1,000 points ... Other recognition included a resolution read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative John Spratt and a key to the city of York, S.C., which celebrated Ivory Latta Day on Jan. 10, 2003 . . . Voted Homecoming Queen
Ivory Latta's Collegiate Regular Season Statistics Tm G GS Min FGM FGA PCT 3P 3PA PCT FTM FTA PCT OR DR Reb As PF St TO Blk Pts
2003-04 UNC 31 29 1010 140 387 .362 61 176 .347 92 118 .780 23 65 88 110 52 60 96 4 433
2004-05 UNC 34 33 1165 184 438 .420 92 232 .397 132 153 .863 10 82 92 147 58 57 121 6 592
2005-06 UNC 35 35 1123 211 464 .456 85 212 .401 138 162 .852 7 67 74 181 55 80 126 2 645
2006-07 UNC 38 --- 1181 198 482 .411 107 266 .402 112 131 .855 14 67 81 161 71 60 136 4 615
138 --- 4479 733 1771 0.414 345 886 0.389 474 564 0.840 54 281 335 599 236 257 479 16 2285
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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