Ann Wauters
No. 21 – Los Angeles Sparks | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | WNBA |
Personal information | |
Born |
Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium | October 12, 1980
Nationality | Belgian |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
Career information | |
WNBA draft | 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
Selected by the Cleveland Rockers | |
Playing career | 1999–present |
Career history | |
1999–2004 | USV Olympic |
2000–2002 | Cleveland Rockers |
2004–2005 | New York Liberty |
2005–2006 | VBM-SGAU |
2007–2009 | CSKA Moscow |
2008–2009 | San Antonio Silver Stars |
2009–2010 | UMMC Ekaterinburg |
2011–2012 | Ros Casares Valencia |
2012 | Seattle Storm |
2012–2013 | Galatasaray S.K. |
2013–2014 | UMMC Ekaterinburg |
2014–2015 | ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq |
2015-16 | Royal Castors Braine |
2016 | Galatasaray S.K. |
2016 | Los Angeles Sparks |
2016 | Agü Spor Kayseri |
Career highlights and awards | |
Stats at WNBA.com | |
Ann Hilde Willy Wauters (born October 12, 1980) is a Belgian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Galatasaray S.K.in the Turkish Women's Basketball League. Her primary position is center.
Personal
Born in Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium, Wauters began playing basketball at age 12. Her international professional basketball career began immediately after high school. She speaks Dutch, French and English. She wears jersey No. 12 because of her birthdate.
In November 2010 Wauters' management announced she was 3 months pregnant with her first child, adding that this would not mean the end of her career. After the birth of her child, Wauters signed with Ros Casares Valencia in Spain. Her wife, Lot Wielfaert, was also pregnant and gave birth a month before Wauters.[1]
WNBA career
Wauters was drafted No. 1 overall in 2000 WNBA Draft by the Cleveland Rockers. She was the first Belgian-born player in the WNBA. When the team selected her, she was considered a project and raw talent. Having only played basketball for 7 years prior to the draft, Wauters quickly blended in with the big-name centers.
In 2004 she was moved to the New York Liberty. She played two seasons for the Liberty before leaving the WNBA in 2006. She was an All Star Reserve in 2005.
On February 6, 2008, Wauters was selected by the Atlanta Dream in the expansion draft.
On April 9, 2008, Wauters, along with Morenike Atunrase and a 2009 second round draft pick, was traded to the San Antonio Silver Stars for Camille Little, Chioma Nnamaka, and the Silver Stars' first round pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft.[2]
Wauters played for the Silver Stars in 2009, but decided not to join with the team in 2010; she also did not join the team in 2011 as she was pregnant.[3] In 2012, is the Seattle Storm. Wauters did not rejoin the Seattle Storm for the 2013 WNBA season though because she needed to spend time with her family. Wauters currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. In the 2016 EuroBasket she was injured did not make the initial trip to Poland, but was expected to play.
Awards and honors
Team
- EuroLeague Women: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012
- FIBA Women's World League: 2004, 2005
- Ligue Féminine de Basketball: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Russian Women's Basketball Premier League: 2005, 2006, 2010
- Liga Femenina de Baloncesto: 2012
- Women's Korean Basketball League: 2006
- Coupe de France: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Russian Cup: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
- Turkish Cup: 2013
- Belgian Championship: 2016
- Women's National Basketball Association: 2016
Individual
- European player of year: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008
- EuroLeague Final Four MVP: 2001, 2002, 2004
- Best foreign player in France: 2001
- Best center of European championship in Greece: 2003
- WNBA All-Star 2005
References
- ↑ "Echtgenote van Ann Wauters: 'Samen zwanger zijn is heerlijk'". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). November 16, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ↑ "WNBA: Silver Stars again make splash with draft-day trade".
- ↑ Silver Stars Center Ann Wauters Will Not Play In WNBA In 2010 Archived April 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.