North Carolina State University Athletics
Stansbury Selected by Houston Comets in WNBA Draft
4/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
April 5, 2006
Tiffany Stansbury Bio
When the 2006 WNBA Draft began at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, Tiffany Stansbury was in class at NC State. It was back to business as usual for the 6-foot-3 center who helped lead NC State to two NCAA Tournament appearances during her career between 2004 and 2006. The Philadelphia native had already missed a day and a half of classes when she participated in the Pre-Draft camp held in Boston, Mass. on Monday, April 3, at Emmanuel College. The camp allowed WNBA coaches and general managers the opportunity to evaluate 40 of the nation's top prospects in preparation for the draft and upcoming 10th anniversary season of the league.
But after Wednesday's selection as the 29th overall pick and first pick of the third round to the Houston Comets, Stansbury's once "normal" collegiate life will soon come to an end. She will have realized her dream of playing in the WNBA. After all, the framework for such success stemmed from her athletic parents. Her mother Ingrid was an established track star at Temple and her father Terrance, now a coach in Europe, played three seasons in the NBA with Indiana and Seattle and professionally overseas for several more years.
"This is a nervous and exciting time for me," said Stansbury. "Playing here at NC State, in the ACC, with my teammates and coaches, has definitely prepared me for the next level. I am happy and anxious to have the opportunity to play in the WNBA, but also in my time at NC State, I have realized that I am not only representing the university and my family, but that also I have the chance to set a good example for the kids growing up in Philadelphia."
Stansbury will head to preseason training camp in two weeks to begin practicing with the four-time WNBA Champion Houston Comets, under the guidance of 10th year head coach Van Chancellor. She becomes a member of an all-star roster that houses all-stars Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Dawn Staley. Last season the Comets finished third in the Western Conference with a record of 19-15. The 2006 squad opens the preseason on Wednesday, May 3, against the Charlotte Sting at 7:30 p.m. in the Toyota Center, followed by two more preseason games, which includes a showdown with the Washington Mystics on May 13, a team that features two former Wolfpack players, Chasity Melvin and Kaayla Chones, followed by the final preseason game on May 16 against the Detroit Shock.
The first regular season game for the Comets will be against San Antonio in Houston on Sunday, May 21. For more information on the Houston Comets visit: Houston Comets
With Wednesday's selection, Stansbury joins 12 other former players from the Wolfpack family to either coach or play in the WNBA since its inception in 1996. Most recently, Kaayla Chones, now with the Washington Mystics, was drafted in 2004. Her addition to the league, puts NC State's name on the map with five players and one general manager. Along with Chones, Andrea Stinson (Detroit Shock), Chasity Melvin (Washington Mystics), Tynesha Lewis (Minnesota Lynx) and Trudi Lacey (Charlotte Sting General Manager), Stansbury is in good company.
"I'm going to always have to play hard and be consistent whether it's in practice or in games," said Stansbury as she looked ahead to her future WNBA experience. "It will always be a challenge, but playing in such a strong conference in the ACC and going against a lot of the players that were at the camp in games during my career at NC State, is definitely an advantage for me. But I won't know for sure how prepared I am until I get out to experience it first hand. I will have to be ready everyday."
In her two seasons at NC State, Stansbury was a two-time All-ACC Selection (2005, 2006). She averaged 11.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 1.68 blocks per game and shot 51.8 percent from the floor. In addition, she led team in scoring, blocks and feld goal percentage both seasons and finished with 37 double figure scoring games, 12 double figure rebounding games, 10 double-doubles and seven, 20-point games. Stansbury leaves NC State ranked seventh all-time for blocks in a career (99) at and did so in two seasons. She is also just one of seven players in NC State history to record 6 or more blocks in a game, and just the third player to do it twice in a career. Honors include: 2005 Freeport Division of Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament Team , 2005 NC State Tournament All-Tournament team, 2006 NCAA Player of the Game against Tulsa in First Round of NCAA Tournament, 2004 MVP of two tournaments, the Paradise Jam St. Thomas Division and St. Peter's Classic, 2005 ACC Player of the Game, NC State State Farm Player of the Game 10 times, 2005 USA Basketball Women's National Team Tryouts participant.
--PACK--
