Alabama's Cartwell and Johnson Selected in WNBA Draft
5/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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SECAUCUS, N.J.-- The Women’s National Basketball Association held its sixth annual player draft on Friday and a pair of former Crimson Tide standouts made the cut as LaNisha Cartwell and Shondra Johnson both had their names called out.
Cartwell, a 6-2 center from Montevallo, Ala., was the first pick in the third of four rounds (#33 overall) by the Washington Mystics and Johnson, a 5-9 guard from New Orleans, La., was tabbed as the 10th pick in the third round (#42) by the four-time WNBA Champion Houston Comets.
The Tide duo become Alabama’s first WNBA draft picks since former Alabama center Tausha Mills was chosen as the second overall pick in the 2000 draft. Cartwell, who tallied over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in her career at Bama, joins Mills on the Mystics roster. She also becomes the third UA player drafted by the Mystics joining Mills and former All-American Shalonda Enis (1999).
Johnson, a three-time All-SEC selection and 1,000-point scorer for the Tide, joins a talented Houston squad that captured the first four WNBA crowns and is coached by former SEC great Van Chancellor.
In the six-year draft history of the WNBA, Alabama has now had five players selected during that stretch. In addition to this year’s pair, former Tide stars Mills, Enis and Dominique Canty have also been WNBA draft picks.
