Mathies taken 10th in WNBA Draft
April 16, 2013
Staff report | @KyKernelSports
Former UK guard and two-time SEC Player of the Year A’dia Mathies was selected No. 10 by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA Draft Monday night. Mathies’ selection makes her the highest draft pick in program history.
This season, Mathies led UK to its second Elite Eight in three years. The Cats lost to eventual champion Connecticut, 83-53, on April 1. Mathies is UK Hoops’ all-time winningest senior, along with teammate Brittany Henderson.
Mathies ranks in the top 10 of 13 all-time statistical categories at UK, including first in games played (140), games started (139) and steals (320). Mathies finished her career second in scoring, tallying 2,014 points in four years. She is the fifth player in UK basketball history, men’s and women’s, to break the 2,000 point mark.
Mathies also finished second in 3-point field goals made (177) and field goals attempted (1,687), third in field goals made (712), free throws made (413) and attempted (590) and ninth in assists (349).
Mathies becomes the second first round pick from UK in the last three years. In 2011, Victoria Dunlap was selected at No. 11 by the Washington Mystics.
“All of us are thrilled for A’dia,” UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. “She did so much for the Kentucky program while she as here and we had no doubt she was one of the top players in the country. Being chosen as a first-round pick just shows what she did for us and how hard she has worked to get here. I think the Los Angeles Sparks made a great pick.”
Other notable selection in the draft were Baylor center Brittney Griner at No. 1 to Phoenix, Delaware forward Elena Delle Donne at No. 2 to Chicago, Notre Dame guard Skylar Diggins at No. 3 to Tulsa and Texas A&M center Kelsey Bone at No. 5 to New York.