Indiana Fever select Clarendon in first round
From the Indiana Fever
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever selected California guard Layshia Clarendon and a pair of forwards during the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. Led by Clarendon as its first-round selection (ninth overall), the Fever also chose Georgia’s Jasmine Hassell (21st overall) and Jennifer George (33rd overall) of Florida.
Clarendon, an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press and WBCA, led the Golden Bears with 16.4 points per game while helping Cal to its first NCAA Final Four appearance where it lost to Louisville in the national semifinals.
We were thrilled when we penciled her in at No. 9, said Fever head coach Lin Dunn. We didn’t think she would be there. She’s a terrific guard who can play the 2 and a great defender who has a very high basketball IQ. We really loved what we saw from her all year and she had a great run in the NCAA Tournament. We were thrilled when she was still around [for our pick].
A native of San Bernardino, Calif., the 5-9 Clarendon was a first team All-Pac-12 selection and the league’s scholar-athlete of the year while leading Cal to a 32-4 record. She was a finalist for the State Farm Wade Trophy and a first team Senior CLASS Award All-American while pacing the Golden Bears to their first 30-win season. She became just the fourth Golden Bear to hit the 1,600-point mark in a career and finished her four seasons in Berkeley with 1,820 points.
Hassell, a 6-2 forward from the University of Georgia was an All-SEC first team selection. She led Georgia with averages of 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She was second in the SEC with a 53.1 percent shooting percentage. She paced the Bulldogs in double-digit scoring games (20) and double-doubles (five).
George, a 6-0 forward, was the only senior on a Gators team that finished 22-15 and played in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. A second team All-SEC pick as a senior and a first-teamer as a junior, she was also a member of the SEC All-Defensive first team, George averaged 11.0 points and led the Gators with 7.5 rebounds. She also led Florida with 56 blocked shots (1.6).
WNBA training camps open Sunday, May 5.
