April 8, 2010
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech forward Shanavia Dowdell sat in the Lady Techster basketball locker room Thursday afternoon surrounded by her teammates, coaches, family and friends watching the 2010 WNBA Draft.
As the selections were made and the first round crept into the second round, the anticipation mounted until her name was finally called as the 18th overall selection by the Washington Mystics.
An instant smile, a huge sigh of relief and then a hug from her mother - Aretha Dowdell - followed the announcement which came on ESPNU.
"It was just a relief," said Dowdell. "I had been anticipating and listening to what everyone was saying. I thought I might go with the 13th or 14th picks and when I didn't, I started getting nervous. When I finally saw my name I was so happy. I thought all the hard work has paid off."
It was a moment that Dowdell said she had been dreaming about for a long time.
"I starting thinking my junior or senior year in high school that I might have a chance," said Dowdell. "My uncle and mother always kept telling me to keep going; to work hard.
"I know that I have a lot of hard work in front of me. Just because I've been picked, doesn't mean I have a roster spot. I know this is an entirely different level. I have to continue to work hard and do my best to make myself known in the league and to give myself a chance (with the Mystics). I'm excited."
Mystics General Manager Angela Taylor said that the organization has been watching Dowdell all year.
"Shanavia has been someone that we have had on our radar all season," said Taylor. "If you look at her statistically, she puts up a double double every single night. And she did it against some of the top teams and post players like Brittney Griner at Baylor, Jacinta Monroe at Florida State, LSU and Mississippi State. It just reinforced what type of player she can be."
Dowdell averaged 18.0 points and 12.4 rebounds per game as a senior while shooting 54 percent from the field and 66 percent from the free throw line. She ranked third in the country in rebounding and led the country with 22 double doubles.
In games against the top competition, Dowdell was at her best. In seven games against NCAA Tournament teams this season, she averaged 19.3 points and 12.9 rebounds while shooting 56 percent from field and 84 percent from the free throw line.
When playing head-to-head against two first round picks in this year's draft, Dowdell dominated. In a 14-point loss to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament, Dowdell scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Seminole forward Jacinta Monroe, who was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Mystics.
In a four-point loss to Mississippi State this year, Dowdell scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds while holding Chanel Mokango to only two points and three rebounds. Mokango was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Atlanta Dream in this year's draft.
"Watching video on her, you can see that she has the qualities that it takes to be successful on this level. She has spent the last year and a half under someone that we have so much respect for in Teresa Weatherspoon; she's been given a great foundation from a WNBA legend. I think she could be a real steal in this draft."
Dowdell adds her name to a long line of Lady Techsters to be taken in the WNBA Draft as she is the 14th LA Tech player selected and the 20th (counting free agent signees) to make it to the league since its inception in 1997. She is the first LA Tech player selected in the WNBA Draft since Erica Smith-Taylor was taken in the second round in 2005 by the Mystics.
"I'm overwhelmed with joy for her," Weatherspoon said. "She's a young lady that has worked so hard the entire offseason and then brought into the season and played so well. She played so many minutes and they were productive minutes. Good things happen to people who work hard and persevere. This is so great for Shanavia, our program and our university."
The Calera, Alabama native is the two-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and led the Lady Techsters to back-to-back postseason appearances, including the 2010 NCAA Tournament. She is a two-time first team all-state selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and a two-time WBCA Region 7 selection.
The 6-foot-2-inch Dowdell ended her Tech career ranked 15th in scoring with 1,599 points and 10th in rebounding with 1,025 boards. She also ranks ninth in career blocks with 146.
Dowdell will join former Techsters Cheryl Ford (Tulsa Shock) and Betty Lennox (Los Angeles Sparks) as the three former Techsters who are now active in the WNBA.
The Mystics preseason camp begins April 25 with the first exhibition game slated for May 5 against New York.
"She will find this is a different road to travel," Weatherspoon said. "She has to understand that is like being thrown into a cage of lions ... everyone is fighting everyday for a roster spot. She has the skills and ability to make it. Her game has involved into what professional post players are ... versatile. It's just a matter of putting in the work and never being satisfied."
2010 WNBA Draft
First Round
1 Connecticut Sun - Tina Charles (Connecticut)
2 Minnesota Lynx - Monica Wright (Virginia)
3 Minnesota Lynx - Kelsey Griffin (traded to CT) (Nebraska)
4 Chicago Sky - Epiphanny Prince (Botas/Rutgers)
5 San Antonio Silver Stars - Jayne Appel (Stanford)
6 Washington Mystics - Jacinta Monroe (Florida St.)
7 Connecticut Sun - Danielle McCray (Kansas)
8 Los Angeles Sparks - Andrea Riley (Oklahoma St.)
9 Atlanta Dream - Chanel Mokango (Mississippi St.)
10 Seattle Storm - Alison Lacey (Iowa St.)
11 Indiana Fever - Jene Morris (San Diego)
12 Los Angeles Sparks - Bianca Thomas (Ole Miss)
Second Round
13 New York Liberty - Kalana Greene Connecticut
14 Washington Mystics - Jenna Smith (Illinois)
15 Connecticut Sun - Allison Hightower (LSU)
16 New York Liberty - Ashley Houts (Georgia)
17 San Antonio Silver Stars - Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee)
18 Washington Mystics - Shanavia Dowdell (Louisiana Tech)
19 Tulsa Shock - Amanda Thompson (Oklahoma)
20 Los Angeles Sparks - Angel Robinson (Georgia)
21 Atlanta Dream - Brigitte Ardossi (Georgia Tech)
22 Seattle Storm - Tanisha Smith (Texas A&M)
23 Indiana Fever - Armelie Lumanu (Mississippi State)
24 Phoenix Mercury - Tyra Grant (Penn State)
Third Round
25 New York Liberty - Cory Montgomery (Nebraska)
26 Minnesota Lynx - Gabriela Marginean (Drexel)
27 Connecticut Sun - Johannah Leedham (Franklin Pierce)
28 Chicago Sky - Abi Olajuwon (Oklahoma)
29 San Antonio Silver Stars - Alexis Rack (Mississippi State)
30 Washington Mystics - Alexis Gray-Lawson (California)
31 Tulsa Shock - Vivian Frieson (Gonzaga)
32 Los Angeles Sparks - Rashidat Junaid (Rutgers)
33 Atlanta Dream - Brittainey Raven (Texas)
34 Seattle Storm - Tijana Krivacevic (Hungary)
35 Indiana Fever - Joy Cheek (Duke)
36 Phoenix Mercury - Nyeshia Stevenson (Oklahoma)
Lady Techsters in WNBA Draft
1997 Draft
2.4 (12 overall) Vicky Johnson New York Liberty (Elite Draft)
3.1 (17th overall) Racquel Spurlock Houston Comets
3.7 (23rd overall) Debra Williams Charlotte Sting
1999 Draft
1.4 (4th overall) Alisa Burras Portland Fire (Expansion Draft)
4.10 (46th overall) Amanda Wilson Phoenix Mercury
2000 Draft
1.6 (6th overall) Betty Lennox Minnesota Lynx
1.8 (8th overall) Tamicha Jackson Detroit Shock
4.11 (59th overall) Shaka Massey Charlotte Sting
2002 Draft
2.4 (20th overall) Ayana Walker Detroit Shock
3.3 (35th overall) Takeisha Lewis Seattle Storm
2003 Draft
1.3 (3rd overall) Cheryl Ford Detroit Shock
2004 Draft
2.4 (17th overall) Amisha Carter New York Liberty
2.6 (19th overall) Trina Frierson Seattle Storm
2005 Draft
2.6 (19th overall) Erica Smith-Taylor Washington Mystics
2010 Draft
2.6 (18th overall) Shanavia Dowdell Washington Mystics
Lady Techsters in ABL Draft
1996 Draft
1.1 (1st overall) Venus Lacy Seattle Reign
1998 Draft
1.5 (5th overall) Alisa Burras Colorado Xplosion
All-Time Techsters in WNBA
LaShawn Brown (Washington Mystics, 1998)
Free Agent Signee
Alisa Burras (Cleveland Rockers, 1999; Portland Fire, 2000-2002; Seattle Storm, 2003)
Selected in the ABL Expansion Draft
Amisha Carter (Detroit Shock, 2004; New York Liberty, 2005)
Shanavia Dowdell (Washington Mystics, 2010)
Cheryl Ford (Detroit Shock, 2003-2009)
Trina Frierson (Seattle Storm, 2004)
Tamicha Jackson (Detroit Shock, 2000; Portland Fire, 2001-2002; Phoenix Mercury, 2003; Washington Mystics, 2004-2005; Phoenix Mercury, 2006)
Vickie Johnson (New York Liberty, 1997-2005; San Antonio Silver Stars, 2006-2009)
Venus Lacy (New York Liberty, 1999-2000)
Free Agent Signee
Janice Lawrence (Cleveland Rockers, 1997-98)
Free Agent Signee
Betty Lennox (Minnesota Lynx, 2000-2002; Miami Sol, 2002; Cleveland Rockers, 2003; Seattle Storm, 2004-2007; Atlanta Dream, 2008; Los Angeles Sparks, 2009)
Takeisha Lewis (Seattle Storm, 2002)
Shaka Massey (Miami Sol, 2000)
Monica Maxwell (Washington Mystics, 1999; Indiana Fever, 2000-2002)
Free Agent Signee
Erica Smith-Taylor (Drafted by Washington Mystics)
Racquel Spurlock (Houston Comets, 1997)
Ayana Walker (Detroit Shock, 2002-2005; Charlotte, 2005-06)
Teresa Weatherspoon (New York Liberty, 1997-2003, Los Angeles Sparks, 2004)
Debra Williams (Drafted by Charlotte Sting)
Amanda Wilson (Phoenix Mercury, 1999-2000)
