Sha Brooks Selected by the Phoenix Mercury in WNBA Draft
Thursday, April 9, 2009 | Women's Basketball
The University of Florida's Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) became the 16th different Gator selected in the WNBA Draft, when the Phoenix Mercury made the 5-foot-7 guard their second of three picks on Thursday.
"I'm just so happy to have the opportunity to go to Phoenix and make the team," said Brooks, who was picked in the third round and the 31st overall selection in the 2009 Draft. "I'm excited. It's been my dream to play in the WNBA and I'm going to go there and give it my all. I'm looking forward to learning from Bridget Pettis, a former Gator who's a coach there, and hopefully, she'll take me under her wing and teach me everything she can."
Brooks, whose first name is pronounced "SHAY", capped a stellar four-year career as a 2009 First-Team All-Southeastern Conference selection by the league's media and coaches, who made her a unanimous pick.
During the 2008-09 season, she led Florida in scoring (16.4 ppg), assists (4.66), free throws made (135) and free throws attempted (171), while ranking second for steals (1.63) and made 3-pointers (48).
During the 14 SEC slate this year, Brooks averaged 19.7 points (No. 2 in SEC), 5.71 assists (T-No. 2 in SEC), 2.00 steals (No. 5 in SEC), while shooting 40.8 percent (29-71) from the 3-point arc (No. 3 in SEC) and 77.5 percent free throws (No. 8 in SEC) and totaling seven 20-plus point performances.
Brooks, who appeared in all 126 games during her career, capped her Gator tenure as the school's all-time leader for consecutive starts (122), made free throws (423), free throws attempted (550) and games started (125).
She also ranks in program history No. 5 for scoring (1,820), No. 2 for minutes played (3,882), No. 3 for steals (242), No. 3 for three-pointers (212), tied-for No. 4 for games played (126), No. 5 for free throw percentage (78.2%) and No. 9 for assists (365).
Florida's senior point guard led the Gators to one of the most successful seasons in program history, culminated by the team's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006 and its first showing in the second round since 2004. With Brooks directing the Gator offense, Florida compiled a program-record 15-game winning streak, earned its first top-10 national ranking since the 2001 season and tied the program record with 24 victories.
"Sha is the type of player who can make an impact," UF head coach Amanda Butler said. "She's going to blend well with their team. She's a great teammate and she makes everyone around her better. The type of game that Phoenix plays is perfect for Sha. They take a lot of three-pointers and transition is an understatement when you talk about their offense. For Sha to have an opportunity to play with some of the other great players who are already there, I think it's a perfect mix. Phoenix is getting an absolutely steal for Sha to still be available in the third round."
WNBA training camps begin May 17th, with the league's opening day scheduled for June 6.
ADDITIONAL BIO INFORMATION
Career Notes
In UF CAREER record book, upon graduation: No. 1 for consecutive starts (123) ... No. 1 made free throws (430) ... No. 1 games started (125) ... No. 1 free throw attempts (550) ... No. 2 minutes played (3,882) ... No. 2 field goals attempted (1,613) ... No. 3 steals (242) ... No. 3 three-pointers (212) ... No. 3 three-pointers attempted (703) ... t-No. 4 games played (126) ... No. 5 scoring (1,820) ... No. 5 free throw percentage (78.2%) ... No. 9 assists (365) ... No. 9 three-point FG% (30.2%) ... No. 10 made field goals (589) ... No. 12 scoring average (14.4 ppg) ... during her junior year became the 19th Gator to top the 1,000-point plateau, nailing a three-pointer from the right side of the arc that put her over the top of the milestone in her 72nd career game, the seventh-fastest in program history ... during the 2007-08 season, held career-long streak of 25 consecutive made free throws … 94 double-figure scoring games … 28 games scoring at least 20 points, with one 30-point game ... 1 double-double … needs only to complete an internship to receive her B.S. degree in Recreation, Parks & Tourism with a specialization in Recreation Event Management.
In UF's SEASON record book, upon graduation: No. 1 for made free throws (135 in 2008-09) … T-No. 1 free throws attempted (171 in 2008-09) … No. 5 three-pointers attempted (210 in 2006-07) ... No. 6 FG attempted (454 in 2006-07) ... No. 7 three-pointers made (61 in 2005-06) ... No. 7 three-pointers attempted (184 in 2006-07) ... No. 7 three-point pct. (35.0% in 2008-09) ... No. 7 minutes played (1,064 in 2007-08) ... No. 8 three-pointers made (55 in 2006-07) ... No. 9 points scored (525 in 2008-09) … No. 9 FT Pct. (79.8% in 2007-08) ... No. 10 three-point pct. (33.2%% in 2005-06) ... No. 11 minutes played (1,021 in 2006-07) ... No. 11 assists (149 in 2008-09)
In UF's GAME record book, upon graduation: set program-record with 18 free throw attempts in a game (vs. Tennessee, Feb. 8, 2009) ... tied UF's then-record for free throw attempts in a game (16 vs. Kentucky, Feb. 25, 2007) … twice tied UF's record for free throw percentage in a game, hitting 10-of-10 versus Temple (Jan. 5, 2008) and Stetson (Nov. 26, 2007) … tied program record for second-most 3-pointers in a game (7 at Tennessee, Feb. 28, 2008) ... 9 steals vs. Stetson (Dec. 18, 2006) tied for the third-most ... 7 steals at Seton Hall (Nov. 19, 2005) tied for the eighth-most ... hit at least one 3-pointer in 18 consecutive games that spanned over the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, at the time was the fourth-longest streak in program history
UF SEASON Records by CLASS, upon completion of each year: most free throws made by a Gator senior (135 in 2008-09) ... most free throws attempted by a senior (171 in 2008-09) ... second-highest 3-PT FG % by a senior (78.9% in 2008-09) ... tied program record for most games started by a Gator junior (33 in 2007-08) … third-most free throws made in a season by a Gator junior (103 in 2007-08) … third-highest free throw percentage in a season by a Gator junior (79.8%, 103-129 in 2007-08) … tied UF sophomore game-record for made free throws made (11 vs. Kentucky, Feb. 25, 2007) and attempted (16 vs. Kentucky, Feb. 25, 2007), as well as for steals (9 vs. Stetson, Dec. 18, 2006) … sank a UF freshman-record 61 three-pointers and in the process became the first Gator rookie to lead the team in made 3-pointers
Senior Year (2008-09)
Starting point guard all 32 games … led UF in scoring (16.4 ppg), assists (4.7), made free throws (135) and free throw attempts (171), while ranking second for steals (1.6), 3-pointers made (48, 1.5 pg), 3-pointers attempted (37, 4.3 pg) and minutes played (973, 30.4 pg) … one of three Gators who scored in every game (also Marshae Dotson & Sharielle Smith) … UF's leading scorer in 17 games, assist leader in 23 games and rebound leader three times ... SEC's second-leading scorer (all games) and ranked No. 4 for assists and free throw percentage (78.9%) … in 14 SEC games, averaged 19.7 points (No. 2 in SEC), 5.71 assists (T-No. 2 in SEC), 2.00 steals (No. 5 in SEC), while shooting 40.8% (29-71) from the 3-point arc (No. 3 in SEC) and 77.5% free throws (No. 8 in SEC), while totaling seven 20+ point performances ... ended her career having started the final 123 games, becoming UF's all-time leader in the category by starting the Jan. 18 game against Georgia, passing Murriel Page (1994-98), who started the final 109 games of her All-American career … in eight games vs. ranked opponents averaged 18.8 points and 8.25 free throw attempts per game.
| Gators Selected in Professional U.S. Drafts | ||||
| Gator | Year | Team | Round | Overall |
| Bridget Pettis | 1996 | Denver (ABL) | - | alternate |
| Tammy Jackson | 1996 | Hartford (ABL) | 8 | 60 |
| DeLisha Milton | 1997 | Portland (ABL) | 1 | 2 |
| Bridget Pettis | 1997 | Phoenix Mercury | E* | - |
| Sophia Witherspoon | 1997 | New York Liberty | 2 | 11 |
| Merlakia Jones | 1997 | Cleveland Rockers | 2 | 13 |
| Tammy Jackson | 1997 | Houston Comets | 2 | 16 |
| Murriel Page | 1998 | Washington Mystics | 1 | 3 |
| DeLisha Milton | 1999 | Los Angeles Sparks | 1 | 4 |
| Tonya Washington | 2000 | Washington Mystics | 2 | 18 |
| Tiffany Travis | 2000 | Charlotte Sting | 2 | 27 |
| Tamara Stocks | 2001 | Washington Mystics | 2 | 25 |
| Tombi Bell | 2001 | Minnesota Lynx | 3 | 39 |
| Brandi McCain | 2002 | Cleveland Rockers | 2 | 24 |
| Monique Cardenas | 2002 | Portland Fire | 4 | 53 |
| Vanessa Hayden | 2004 | Minnesota Lynx | 1 | 7 |
| Tashia Morehead | 2005 | Washington Mystics | 3 | 32 |
| Dalila Eshe | 2006 | Seattle Storm | 2 | 25 |
| Sha Brooks | 2009 | Phoenix Mercury | 3 | 31 |
E* - Elite Draft. (The 1997 WNBA Draft was the first in history of the league, and teams selected players in three different stages. On Jan. 22, 1997, the league assigned a total of 16 players - two to each team - in no particular order. On Feb. 27, 1997, the WNBA held its Elite Draft, where two additional players were assigned to each team, again in no particular order.)
-UF-
