Cappie

Pondexter

WNBA: Phoenix Mercury 

USA Basketball Notes:Gold Medals: 2008 Olympic Games, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship (Olympic qualifier), 2005 World University Games, 2003 FIBA World Championship For Young Women (U21), 2002 World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Tournament (U20), 2000 Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament (U18).
Silver Medal: FIBA World League Tournament.
Bronze Medal: 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship (U19).

• Named to the 2008 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team on May 31, 2008.

• Assisted the USA to a 2-0 mark in its 2008 Spain training, averaged 9.0 ppg., 1.5 rpg. and 3.0 apg.
• Aided the 2007 USA Select Team to a 3-2 record and the silver medal at the 2007 FIBA World League Tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, averaged 8.4 ppg. and 2.2 apg.
• Member of the 2007 USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that competed in Valdivia, Chile, posted an unblemished 5-0 slate, captured the gold medal and qualified the United States for the 2008 Olympic Games; averaged 3.0 ppg., while leading the tournament for assists (4.8 apg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (6.00).
• Named to the 2007-08 USA Basketball Women's National Team on March 6, 2007.
• Named as an alternate for the 2006 USA World Championship Team and trained with the squad during its pre-Worlds training Aug. 29 - Sept. 7.
• One of two WNBA rookies-to-be named to the 2006 USA Basketball Senior National Team that recorded a 4-1 slate and won the Australia-hosted 2006 Opals World Challenge.
• Missed the first game due to the WNBA Draft and arrived four hours ahead of the USA's second contest, averaged 1.8 ppg.
• Co-captain of the 2005 USA World University Games Team that captured the gold medal with a perfect 7-0 record in Izmir, Turkey; averaged a USA fifth-best 8.9 ppg., while adding 3.1 rpg. and a team-high 23 assists; finished ranked among all participants in the 20-team tournament third for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.64) and sixth for assists (3.29 apg.).
• Co-captain of the 2003 USA World Championship For Young Women (U21) Team that captured the gold medal with a 7-1 record in Sibenik, Croatia, averaged 5.3 ppg.
• Helped the U.S. to a 4-0 record in exhibition play against Australia and Brazil's young women teams, averaged a team fourth best 9.0 ppg. and led all competitors with 5.0 apg.
• Co-captain of the 2002 USA World Championship For Young Women Qualifying (U20) Team that finished with a 4-0 record and the gold medal in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. The squad also earned a pair of exhibition victories over the Brazil senior and young women national teams.
• Member of the 2001 USA Junior World Championship (U19) Team that posted a 6-1 record and earned the bronze medal in Brno, Czech Republic, ranked as the USA's third leading scorer.
• Member of the 2000 USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying (U18) Team that recorded a 5-0 record and earned the gold medal in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Professional Notes:
Drafted: No. 2 in 2006 by the Phoenix Mercury.
WNBA Title: 2007
WNBA Finals MVP: 2007
WNBA All-Rookie Team: 2006
All-Star Games: 2006, 2007
EuroLeague All-Star Game: 2007
EuroLeague All-Star Game MVP: 2007

• Returned to Turkey's Fenerbahce SK club for the 2007-08 season and averaged 22.1 ppg., 3.1 rpg. and 3.4 apg. in leading her side to the EuroLeague Elite Eight.
• Averaged 17.2 ppg., 3.6 rpg. and 4.0 apg. in helping lead the Mercury to a league second-best 23-11 record in 2007; upped her averages in the playoffs to 23.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg. and 5.8 apg. in leading the Mercury to the WNBA title.
• Finished her rookie campaign ranked fourth among league leaders for scoring (19.5 ppg.), sixth for assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2) and 10th for free throw percentage (.853).
• Finished runner-up to USA teammate Seimone Augustus in the 2006 Rookie of the Year voting.
• Averaging 17.6 ppg., 3.3 rpg. and 3.9 apg. in helping Turkey's Fenerbahce SK advance to the 2007 EuroLeague quarterfinals. Her squad fell 82-80 in overtime of the best-of-three deciding quarterfinal game to DeLisha Milton-Jones' Ros Casares squad.

Collegiate Notes:

• During her four years (2003-06) at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights posted a 97-22 (.815) record, won the 2005 and 2006 Big East Conference championships, and competed in four NCAA Tournaments, including the 2005 Elite Eight.
• Aided Rutgers as a senior to a 27-5 slate, including a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big East, while averaging 21.6 ppg. 4.2 rpg., 3.2 apg. and 1.7 spg.
• Named the 2006 Women's Basketball News Service National Player of the Year.
• Lists as a finalist for the 2006 State Farm Wade Trophy, Naismith Award, John R. Wooden Award, the Bayer Advantage Senior C.L.A.S.S. Award, and was also among the finalists for the 2006 Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation's top point guard.
• Listed on the 2006 Associated Press (AP) All-America first team, 2005 third team and was a 2003 A.P. All-America honorable mention.
• A unanimous selection for the 2006 Big East Player of the Year award, became the first player in Big East history to earn a spot on the All-Big East first team all four years and was a four-time Big East All-Tournament Team honoree.
• Finalist for the 2005 Naismith Player of the Year, State Farm Wade Trophy, Wooden Award and the Nancy Lieberman Award.
• Three-time Kodak/WBCA All-America honorable mention.
• Named the 2003 Big East Rookie of the Year.
• Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA Philadelphia Region.
• Earned 2003 All-America honorable mention from Basketball Times.
• One of two rookies to be named as a finalist for the 2003 Nancy Lieberman Award.
• Averaged 18.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 4.9 apg. and 1.8 spg. as a rookie, while aiding the Scarlet Knights to the biggest turnaround in Division I, improving from 9-20 in 2001-02 to 21-8 in 2002-03.
• Was able to practice with the 2001-02 Rutgers team but could not participate in games in accordance with NCAA initial-eligibility standards.

Quick Facts

• Hails from Chicago, Illinois.
• Daughter of Vanessa and Leo Pondexter, has one brother, Ronald Brown, and one sister, Latoya Pondexter.
• Earned her degree in Africana studies at Rutgers.
• Attended John Marshall High School (Ill.), where she was named the 2001 National Player of the Year by the WBCA and Parade Magazine, and was elected as the 2001 Illinois Player of the Year by Gatorade and USA Today.
• Became the first player in the state to twice be named Illinois Miss Basketball (2000, 2001).
• During her four years, Marshall compiled a 116-8 record and earned three Chicago Public League titles, the 1998 Illinois state crown and a 1999 state runner-up finish.