North Carolina State University Athletics
A New Season for Summer
4/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Tony Haynes
For Summer Erb, this spring has been like a whirlwind. Earlier in the week, the former NC State center, accompanied by Wolfpack coach Kay Yow, boarded a flight to New Jersey for the WNBA Draft.
Erb's long and excruciating wait finally ended when the Charlotte Sting selected her with the eleventh pick in the first round. Had it not been for a broken left foot that caused her to miss seven games late in February, Erb probably would have been drafted earlier.
"I'm a little surprised that I went number eleven," Erb said. "But I have a chance to play and I'm going to make the most of it. The wait was tough but I've been through so much in my college career that it was a lot easier for me to handle this. It was out of my hands."
Prior to the draft, Erb had heard through various grapevines that her draft status had dropped due to the injury.
"I didn't think it would affect things that much because people had seen me play for three or four years," she said. "I didn't think my breaking my foot and missing seven games would do what it did."
After missing those seven games, including the ACC Tournament, the 6'6 center returned for what would be the final game of her college career; a loss to SMU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in March.
Since then, Erb has continued to rehab her injured foot. At this time, she's back to "80 or 90 percent" healthy. WNBA training camps open on May 3, which doesn't leave much time for the 1999 ACC Player of the Year to make a total recovery before a new season begins.
"It's a great opportunity to play in the United States in front of the people that know you," said Erb, who averaged 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in her senior season. "I always thought I'd end up going overseas to play pro ball, but then the league started up over here."
The Charlotte Sting organization has a distinct NC State and ACC flavor to it. Erb will be joining former Wolfpack stars Andrea Stinson and Rhonda Mapp on the Sting roster. Susan Yow, a former Pack All-American, is currently an assistant coach with Charlotte. The Sting also took Duke's Peppi Browne in the third round of the WNBA Draft.
And though her career at NC State is over, Erb's association with longtime Wolfpack coach Kay Yow will continue for years to come.
"She still has players from 25 years ago that talk to her," Erb said. "She's a part of my life and she's somebody that I can count on and talk to when I need to. I can definitely see myself talking to her quite a few years down the road."
