Former Scarlet Knights Head to WNBA Training Camp
Apr 22 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Four former members of the Rutgers women’s basketball program will report to WNBA Training Camps April 23-24.
Michelle Campbell (Princeton, NJ) will seek a roster spot with the Washington Mystics. The 6-2 forward averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest during the 2005-2006 season, scoring her 1,000th career point Feb. 19 against Syracuse. Campbell played in 129 career games, starting 111 times, and averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She posted 46 double-digit scoring games (six 20+ points, one 30+ points), seven double-digit rebounding games and six double-doubles, and finished her time “On the Banks” fifth in field-goal percentage list (.549), tied for third in games played (129) and 22nd in scoring (1,054) on the Rutgers lists.
Chelsea Newton (Monroe, LA) was acquired by the Chicago Sky in the Expansion Draft this past winter. Newton, a second-round selection of the Sacramento Monarchs in the 2005 WNBA Draft, was one of two league rookies to start every regular-season game (Temeka Johnson) last season, helping to lead the Monarchs to the 2005 WNBA title. The 5-11 guard averaged 4.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.0 minutes per game, and was used as a defensive stopper, often drawing the toughest assignment on the perimeter. In fact, Newton missed a spot on the 2005 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team by just one vote, but she did earn one of five spots on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. The 2005 BIG EAST Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-BIG EAST Third Team, Newton averaged 9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals for Rutgers as a senior, starting 32 of 33 games and posting 15 double-digit scoring efforts. During her four years “On the Banks,” Newton started 95 of 104 games, averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per contest, posting 51 double-digit scoring games (four 20+ points), two double-digit rebounding games and two double-doubles.
Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) was the second overall selection of the 2006 WNBA Draft, chosen by the Phoenix Mercury. A finalist for the State Farm Wade Trophy, the Naismith Award, the Women’s Wooden Award, the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, the Honda Sports Award for Basketball and the Nancy Lieberman Award (nation’s top point guard), the 5-9 guard was picked as the Women’s Basketball News Service National Player of the Year. Pondexter was named to the Kodak/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America First Team, the Associated Press All-America First Team, the ESPN.com All-America First Team, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Team, the WBNS All-America First Team, the Women’s Wooden Award All-America Team, the Senior CLASS Award All-America First Team, the Full Court Press All-America First Team and the Gballmag.com All-America First Team, and was the unanimous selection as the BIG EAST Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to be named to the All-BIG EAST First Team four times during her career. Picked as the WBCA National Player of the Month for January, she started all 32 games for the Scarlet Knights during the 2005-2006 season, averaging 21.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Named to the NCAA Tournament All-Cleveland Region Team, Pondexter scored her 2,000th career point at West Virginia Feb. 10. She competed with the USA Basketball Senior National Team at the Opals World Challenge in Australia April 8-12. Pondexter played in 121 career games, making 103 starts, and averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. She finished her time “On the Banks” first in three-point field-goal percentage (164-385, .426), second in scoring (2,211), free throws made (427), field goals made (810) and field goals attempted (1,768), third in scoring average (18.3 ppg), three-point field goals made (164) and free throws attempted (539), fourth in three-point field goals attempted (385), fifth in assists (470), tied for sixth in free-throw percentage (427-539, .792) and tied for seventh in steals (213) on the RU career charts.
Tammy Sutton-Brown (Markham, Ontario) will be in her sixth season with the Charlotte Sting. A 2002 WNBA All-Star, the 6-4 center has averaged 9.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game during her career. A second-round selection of the franchise in 2001, she helped lead Charlotte to that summer’s WNBA Finals. Sutton-Brown averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during her Rutgers career, finishing her time “On the Banks” ranked tied for first in games played (130), third in field-goal percentage (.577), fourth in blocked shots (148), sixth in free throws attempted (494), seventh in free throws made (304), 12th in rebounds (685) and 15th in scoring (1,246). A third-team all-BIG EAST selection and a candidate for the Naismith National Player-of-the-Year Award as a senior, she helped lead the Scarlet Knights to four NCAA Tournament berths, including an Elite Eight finish in 1999 and a Final Four berth in 2000.
