Unquestionably, there is a fair amount of buzz surrounding the first-ever AU Basketball season in 2022. Earlier this week, AU Basketball announced the signing of ten athletes, five of which have played in the WNBA. These five players have nearly 50 seasons combined in the league. Without further ado, meet the five current WNBA Players joining AU Basketball.
Jantel Lavender
Firstly, Jantel Lavender is an 11-year veteran of the WNBA who spent the first eight seasons in Los Angeles with the Sparks. She won a WNBA Championship with the Sparks back in 2016. The former Ohio State Buckeye averaged around six points per game and nearly four rebounds a game for the Indiana Fever this year.
Odyssey Sims
Next, Odyssey Sims is in year eight of her WNBA career. In 2014, she was on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. This year for the Atlanta Dream, Sims started in 21 of 30 games played, recording 10 double-figure scoring games, four of which were 20-point games. Sims set a WNBA record with 13 assists off the bench vs. Las Vegas Aces. It was the fourth-most assists by any player in the WNBA this season.
Tianna Hawkins
Tianna Hawkins, a teammate of Sims, played in 28 games with a career-high 8 starts this season and is also in year eight. She had her season-best performance versus her former team: the Washington Mystics. Hawkins notched 17 points and 9 rebounds. She reached the milestone of 100 career steals with one versus the Sparks. Hawkins missed four games towards the latter part of the season with a right foot injury.
Courtney Williams
Since we have two players of the Dream already on here, why not add a third? Courtney Williams started every single one of the Dream’s games this season and was a WNBA All-Star. In her sixth season in the WNBA, Williams led the Dream in scoring (16.5 ppg), assists (4.0 apg), and minutes played (34.4 mpg). She was drafted eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury and later traded to the Connecticut Sun.
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
Lastly, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan is a second-year player who plays for the Seattle Storm. Harrigan was selected sixth overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She was a player on South Carolina’s national championship team as a freshman last season. Harrigan finished her first WNBA season by appearing in the final 21 games off the bench. She averaged 3.8 ppg and 2.3 RPG in 11.2 mpg, shooting 36.6% from the field, 42.4% (14-for-33) from long distance, and 71.4% from the free-throw line.
The Remaining Five Players
In addition, Essence Carson is in AU Basketball after a 13-year WNBA career that included winning the 2016 WNBA title with the Sparks with Lavender. Rounding out the latest signings are Kirby Burkholder of Cangrejeras de Santurce (BSNF), a team-based out of Puerto Rico. Guard Tyce Knox, a former member of the Texas A&M Aggies and their all-time assist leader. Forward Jessica Kuster has six seasons of international experience spanning Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and Australia.
Guard Laurin Mincy was a 2015 WNBA third-round draft pick who has spent four seasons internationally, first in Israel and later in Australia.
It must be remembered that these ten athletes will be joined by the first three players who signed on early on. It is important to realize they too construct the AU Basketball Player Executive Committee: Natasha Cloud, Sydney Colson, and Ty Young. Summing up, AU Basketball will be holding open tryouts on December 11-12 in the Atlanta metro area. At this point, the roster is shaping up to be a good one.
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