Pondexter Named to WNBA All-Rookie Team
Aug 20 | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK, NY - Former Rutgers women's basketball standout and current
Phoenix Mercury guard Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) was named to the 2006
WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Pondexter, who finished second in the voting for the WNBA Rookie of the Year
Award, was one of five players to be named to the All-Rookie Team. She was
joined by Rookie of the Year Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Candice
Dupree (Chicago Sky), Sophia Young (San Antonio Silver Stars) and Monique
Currie (Charlotte Sting).
Pondexter tied for fourth overall in the WNBA in scoring (19.5 ppg), adding
3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. She was named a
reserve for the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game, dishing four assists, and was the
WNBA's Player of the Week June 13 after becoming the third player in league
history to post 30 points in back-to-back games. Pondexter established a
new rookie scoring record when she poured in 35 points in a 91-76 victory at
Detroit July 6.
Rutgers has had a former player earn a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team each
of the last two seasons (Chelsea Newton, 2005, Sacramento Monarchs).
Pondexter was the second overall selection of the 2006 WNBA Draft 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 and
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.
