Angel McCoughtry

Angel McCoughtry

McCoughtry with Geno Auriemma
WNBA's Atlanta Dream  – No. 35
Forward
Born	(1986-09-10) September 10, 1986 (age 25) Baltimore, Maryland
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg)
College	Louisville
Draft	1st overall, 2009 Atlanta Dream
Profile	WNBA Info Page
WNBA Teams
Atlanta Dream (2009–present)
Non-WNBA Teams
Fenerbahçe Istanbul (2010-present)
Awards and Honors
WNBA Rookie of the Year (2009) 1× WNBA All-Star (2011)
Medal record Women's Basketball Competitor for  United States Pan American Games Gold 2007 Brazil Team Competition

Angel Lajuane McCoughtry (born September 10, 1986) is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player. She also plays for the Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe Istanbul in the EuroLeague Women.^[1][2]

Biography

McCoughtry led the Big East Conference in scoring, rebounding, and steals, while breaking school records for most and steals in a season, most points in a season, and most points in a game. She was named Big East Player of the Year during her sophomore year in 2006-2007. In the summer of 2007, McCoughtry represented the United States on the Pan American Games women's basketball team.^[3] During her junior year at Louisville, McCoughtry broke her own records for points and steals on the season, and tied her own single-game scoring record. She played a key role in Louisville's upset of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the 2008 Big East conference tournament.^[4] In addition, McCoughtry was named an All-American by several organizations as a junior.^[5]

McCoughtry broke the record for career scoring by a Louisville women's basketball player during the first game of her senior year.^[6] She recorded her second triple-double (points, rebounds, steals) in a December 2008 game against the University of Hartford.^[7] She was selected 1st overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft.^[8]

WNBA

Upon joining the Atlanta Dream, McCoughtry soon made a name for herself as an outstanding scorer with excellent penetration and a penchant for drawing the foul. After grabbing Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, she went on to finish third and second in points per game for 2010 and 2011 respectively. She also led the league in free throw attempts twice. On September 8, 2010, McCoughtry set an WNBA playoff record with 42 points in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Liberty. In Game 1 of the 2011 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, she set Finals records for most points in a quarter (19) and most points in a game (38).

McCoughtry is also heralded as a fine defensive player, not only placing near the top for steals, but also in the top ten for most blocks per game. She has been voted as a member of the league's All Defensive Teams in every year since her rookie season.

USA National Team

McCoughtry was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009.^[9] The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team travelled to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they competed in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.^[9] McCoughtry earned most valuable player honors at the Ekaterinburg International Invitational Tournament, as she helped the USA Basketball team win the competition.^[10]

McCoughtry was one of twenty players named to the national team pool. Twelve of this group will be chosen to represent the USA in the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.^[11]

McCoughtry was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball.^[12] This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women to be held in the Czech Republic during September and October 2010.^[13]

McCoughtry was one of 21 finalists for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball payers, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London.^[14]

Personal life

McCoughtry grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and graduated from St. Frances Academy, then spent one year at the Patterson School in North Carolina while working to attain NCAA Division I academic eligibility. She is listed at 6'1" tall and wears jersey number 35.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

References