George Washington University Athletics
GW Has Two Players Selected in WNBA Draft
4/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
April 17, 2004
WASHINGTON, DC - The George Washington women's basketball team had two players drafted in the WNBA Draft on Saturday, April 17. Ugo Oha (Houston, TX/Hastings) was the 11th pick in the second round (24th overall) by the Connecticut Sun and Cathy Joens (Irvine, CA/Calvary Chapel) was the 4th pick in the third round (30th overall) by the New York Liberty.
Oha, the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and GW's all-time leading shot blocker, will join the Sun, who finished second in the East last season and made it all the way to the Conference Finals after upsetting the Charlotte Sting. She should bolster the Sun's defensive play, which has been one of their weak points over the past few seasons, and the 6'4" center's 100 blocks last season almost equaled the entire Sun's output of 111, which ranked them 10th in the league. Oha joins Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen, Penn State's Jessica Brungo and Duquesne's Candace Futrell as the Sun's 2004 draft crop.
Joens, a two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, will bring her feathery shooting touch to the New York Liberty, who finished 16-18 last season and tied for fifth in WNBA's Eastern Conference. Although she has been known as a shooter, the Liberty may ask her to shift back and forth between the shooting and point guard positions. Joens, an AP All-America Honorable Mention selection and a WBCA/Kodak All-America Regional Finalist, shot 45 percent from both the field and the three during her final season at GW, so she should help the WNBA's 10th ranked offense put points on the board. She joins Arkansas' Shameka Christon and Louisiana Tech's Amisha Carter as 2004 Liberty draftees.
For more WNBA Draft information, log on to WNBA.com.
