University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOL SENIORS SELECTED IN FIRST ROUND OF WNBA DRAFT
April 25, 2003 | Women's Basketball
April 25, 2003
SECAUCUS, N.J. - In Friday afternoon's Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft, former University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball players Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson were chosen fifth and sixth overall in the annual event's opening round. With their selection, the seniors become the 17th and 18th Lady Vol players all-time to be tabbed for inclusion into the WNBA. The Detroit Shock, under head coach and former Detroit Pistons player Bill Laimbeer, took Lawson with its second selection of the first round (fifth overall), while the Indiana Fever, home to former UT superstars Tamika Catchings and Nikki McCray, made Jackson its first round choice at the sixth position.
"I'm very excited for our two seniors," said UT head coach Pat Summitt. "Without question, Kara and Bill Laimbeer will be a great fit. He recognized her talent, toughness, leadership abilities and competitiveness, which are all qualities that he exhibited on the court during his playing career. I'm equally excited for Gwen to join some former Lady Vol players in Indianapolis. Gwen is very familiar with Nell's (Indiana Fever coach Nell Fortner) system. Having Tamika Catchings there will allow her to fit in early and get comfortable with their system. As they move to the next level in the WNBA, I expect both of them to have the same impact on their teams as they did during their four years as Lady Vols."
Lawson, an Alexandria, Va., native, made a lasting impression at Tennessee both on the court and off by picking up honors for her athletic ability, academic prowess and community service. Recently named as a prestigious Kodak All-America while leading her team to the NCAA title game, the senior guard and four-time All-SEC first-team selection picked up an array of honors during her playing career including the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, presented to the nation's best player standing 5'8" or under. She was chosen as one of seven UT "Torchbearers," which is the highest award granted a Tennessee undergraduate and was a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year, Nancy Lieberman Point Guard and Senior CLASS awards. On the hardwood, Lawson completed her Lady Vol career as the all-time leading three-point shooter with 256 treys and as the most proficient free throw shooter in UT history by hitting at a .847 clip. For her work in the classroom, the 3.77 student in Finance has received honors which include both the SEC's Postgraduate Scholarship and Knoxville Community Housing Resource Minority Scholarship. She has been named as a finalist for the NACDA Postgraduate Award. Her tireless dedication to a career goal of 100 community service projects endeared her to the local Knoxville area.
"I look forward to starting my WNBA career," said Lawson. "By the end of the season, Detroit could be the most improved team in the league based on their choices in both the supplemental and 2003 drafts. The Shock is an organization that is bringing in quality players with the addition of Ruth Riley and Cheryl Ford."
 Gwen Jackson holds up her new jersey with WNBA President val Ackerman after being selected by the Indiana Fever as the sixth pick overall during the 2003 WNBA draft.  | |
Forward Gwen Jackson, meanwhile, heads to the WNBA fresh off a solid senior season in which she was named as a first-team All-SEC team member by the league's coaches and as a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year and Senior CLASS awards. Jackson led the Lady Vol squad in scoring average (16.1 ppg) and points (612), while finishing second in rebounds (234), rebounding average (6.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.572). The Eufaula, Ala., native posted seven double-doubles on the season, performing the feat twice during this year's NCAA Tournament. In UT's 86-58 win over #15/16 Penn State in the Mideast Regional semifinals, Jackson totaled 24 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Orange and White in both categories. On the biggest stage in women's collegiate basketball at the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta, Ga., she scored 25 points and hustled for 15 boards in the national semifinals as Tennessee advanced to the championship game with a 66-56 win over #2/1 Duke.
"I am really happy, because this is a dream come true for me," said Jackson. "I've always heard that if you work hard in life you can get anything you want. Today that dream has come true for me, through my hardwork in college, listening to Pat and believing in myself. I became a first round draft choice today. It's something, that in a million years, I would have never believed would have happened to me. I want to thank Pat Summitt, all my coaches and teammates for helping me reach my goal of playing in the WNBA.
During their Lady Vol careers, the senior duo of Lawson and Jackson helped lead the Lady Vols to three NCAA Final Fours (2000, 2002 and 2003), two NCAA title games (2000 and 2003) and an overall record of 126-17, while picking up four straight regular-season conference titles and one SEC Tournament championship (2000).
