Wake Forest Athletics
Hamby Invited to 2015 WNBA Draft on Thursday
4/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Erika Carrubba, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWBB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest senior Dearica Hamby is one of 12 prospects invited to attend the 2015 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm on Thursday, April 16, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
ESPN2 will televise the first round beginning at 7 p.m. ET, and ESPN3 will air the second and third rounds starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Hamby is the first Demon Deacon ever invited to attend the WNBA Draft and hopes to be the first player in school history to be drafted in to the WNBA.
"I'm very excited to attend the draft this week," Hamby said. "It is an honor to be chosen to participate in the event. I am looking forward to this week and can't wait to see what is going to happen."
The Marietta, Ga. Native earned All-America honorable mention honors from both the WBCA and Associated Press this season. She was also a Wade Trophy Finalist and a WBCA All-Region selection. She was named first team All-ACC by both the head coach and the Blue Ribbon Panel and earned a spot on the All-ACC Tournament first team.
Hamby finished her career as the program's all-time leading scorer (1,801 points) and rebounder (1,021 rebounds). She is just the second Demon Deacon to reach 1,000 career points and rebounds along with head coach Jen Hoover. In her senior season she averaged 20.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, she finished in the top five all-time in double-doubles, free throws made, field goals made, rebounding average, blocks, games started, games played and minutes played.
"I am thrilled to join Dearica at the 2015 WNBA Draft," Hoover said. "It will be special moment for Dearica, her family and friends and for Wake Forest University. We're committed to giving student-athletes a first-class experience in the classroom and on the court and Dearica will be a great ambassador for our program for years to come. I am so proud of her and honored to share this experience with her."
Hamby is one of 12 prospects that will be in attendance at the draft on Thursday evening. She will be joined by Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), Brittany Boyd (California), Brittany Hrynko (DePaul), Samantha Logic (Iowa), Reshanda Gray (California), Aleighsa Welch (South Carolina), Isabelle Harrison (Tennessee), Kiah Stokes (Connecticut), Elizabeth Williams (Duke), and Amanda Zahui B. (Minnesota).
The Seattle Storm holds the top pick in the draft for the third time in franchise history after winning the WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm. The rest of the top five includes the Tulsa Shock (second pick), Seattle (third, from the Connecticut Sun), Connecticut (fourth, from the New York Liberty), and the Chicago Sky (fifth).
