April 16, 2005
Baylor All-America post player Steffanie Blackmon was selected in the third round of the 2005 WNBA Draft with the 38th pick by the Seattle Storm Saturday afternoon. Only the third WNBA Draft choice in school history and first since standouts Sheila Lambert and Danielle Crockrom were chosen in the first round of the 2002 draft, Blackmon was one of eight Big 12 performers taken in today's three-round event.
"I am excited to have been selected in the WNBA Draft, especially to the Seattle Storm, reigning WNBA champions. I've been to Seattle twice this season, both with good results, hopefully this will work out there too," said Blackmon.
The second-leading scorer (15.4 ppg) and rebounder (7.9 rpg) on Baylor's 2005 NCAA and Big 12 championship team, the 6-2 Blackmon earned third-team 2005 All-America honors from The Associated Press and was a member of the All-Tournament team at both the Final Four and the Big 12 Tournament. A Kodak All-Region honoree and third-team ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America choice, Blackmon earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from the Big 12 coaches, Dallas Morning News and the Waco Tribune-Herald. She was the first player in program history to earn Academic All-America status.
Baylor's all-time leader in blocked shots with 159 rejections, Blackmon ended her four-year career as the third-leading scorer in school history with 1,955 points. She also ranks sixth on the Lady Bears' career rebound list with 936 caroms and her 24 career double-doubles stand eighth all-time at Baylor. She ended her Lady Bear career with a 22-point, seven-rebound performance in Baylor's 84-62 victory over Michigan State in the NCAA title game nearly two weeks ago at Indianapolis.
The Lady Bears finished the 2004-05 season with a school-record tying 33 victories (and a program-low three losses) en route to the first NCAA women's basketball championship in school history as well as their first-ever Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles ever.
"It is an honor to be invited to participate in the draft day activities. I am happy for Steffanie and her family. We're honored by the recognition she brought to Baylor University," said head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson.
