Sky Adds Three Players in 2014 WNBA Draft
April 14, 2014 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release
CHICAGO - The Chicago Sky has selected Markeisha Gatling from NC State with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman rounded out the 2014 Draft with 6'2 forward Gennifer Brandon from UC Berkeley and 5'6 point guard Jamierra Faulkner from Southern Mississippi.
The 6-foot-5 Gatling will add depth and athleticism to Chicago's frontcourt. The center averaged 17.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for NC State in the 2013-14 season. She scored 20+ points on 14 occasions and recorded five double-doubles. Gatling finished her senior season scoring in double figures in 31 straight games.
"When you watch Markeisha play you can see her ability to post and seal, and really be a physical presence in the paint," said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. "She can help us set some screens and get some rebounds which is definitely something we need to add to the arsenal."
In an ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Syracuse, Gatling scored a career-high 28 points. Earlier in the season, she went on a streak scoring 20+ points in five consecutive games in December. For the 2013-14, Gatling ranked 11th overall in scoring and 7th in offensive rebounds in the ACC. Gatling is a player noted for her offensive efficiency. She finished as NC State's all-time career leader in terms of field goal percentage (.628) and set a school single-season record for highest field goal percentage with .633 in her senior season. Gatling was named All-ACC Team First Team (Coaches; Blue Ribbon Panel) and Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention.
Gennifer Brandon, the 6-foot-2 forward from UC Berkeley averaged 7.8 points and 8.1 rebounds in the 2013-14 season. The redshirt senior forward returned ahead of schedule from an offseason injury to record seven double-doubles, including a 20-point performance against Washington State University. Brandon joined an elite group when she became just the fourth women's basketball player in UC Berkeley history to score 1,000 points and collect 1,000 rebounds in a career. By the end of her senior campaign, Brandon had scored 1172 career points. The redshirt senior was on the Wooden Award Watch list and Wade Watch list. She was also nominated for the Lowe's Senior Class Award.
In the 2012-13 season, Brandon helped the Lady Bears to their first-ever Pac -12 Conference Championship, as well as their first Final Four appearance in school history. In what was her breakout season, she appeared in 35 games and posted 19 double-doubles. Brandon broke a 19-year-old record when she grabbed 26 rebounds against UCLA, the most rebounds ever recorded by a Pac-12 player in a single game.
Jamierra Faulkner rounded out the Sky's 2014-draft class. The point guard from Southern Mississippi averaged 17.7 points, 8.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game in the 2013-14. She scored in double figures on 29 occasions, including 13 games with 20+ points and three games with 30+ points. In the 2013-14 season Faulkner led the NCAA in assists per game and breached the 2,000-point mark. She finished her prolific career with 2,056 points.
Faulkner was named to the 2013-14 Conference USA All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team. She was also awarded the C Spire Gillom Trophy as the top women's collegiate basketball player in the state of Mississippi. She was the first Southern Miss player to receive the award and helped the team to their most wins since the 1993-94 season. Faulkner was a 2014 finalist for the prestigious Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the year award.
"Each of these players brings a new dimension to our roster," said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman, following the team's 2014 WNBA Draft selections. "I'm excited to get them to Chicago and see how they fit them in our system once training camp begins."
Gatling, Brandon, and Faulkner will join the Chicago Sky when training camp opens on April 27, 2014.
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