Angel McCoughtry
Encyclopedia
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry (born September 10, 1986) is a professional basketball
player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville
in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream
in the 2009 WNBA Draft
and is considered its franchise player
. She also plays for the Turkish
powerhouse Fenerbahçe Istanbul in the EuroLeague Women
.
in scoring, rebounding, and steals, while breaking school records for most and steals in a season, most points in a season, and most points in a game. She was named Big East Player of the Year during her sophomore year in 2006-2007. In the summer of 2007, McCoughtry represented the United States on the Pan American Games
women's basketball team. During her junior year at Louisville, McCoughtry broke her own records for points and steals on the season, and tied her own single-game scoring record. She played a key role in Louisville's upset of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
in the 2008 Big East conference tournament. In addition, McCoughtry was named an All-American by several organizations as a junior.
McCoughtry broke the record for career scoring by a Louisville women's basketball player during the first game of her senior year. She recorded her second triple-double (points, rebounds, steals) in a December 2008 game against the University of Hartford
. She was selected 1st overall by the Atlanta Dream
in the 2009 WNBA Draft
.
, she set Finals records for most points in a quarter (19) and most points in a game (38).
McCoughtry is also heralded as a fine defensive player, not only placing near the top for steals, but also in the top ten for most blocks per game. She has been voted as a member of the league's All Defensive Teams in every year since her rookie season.
McCoughtry earned most valuable player honors at the Ekaterinburg International Invitational Tournament, as she helped the USA Basketball team win the competition.
McCoughtry was one of twenty players named to the national team pool. Twelve of this group will be chosen to represent the USA in the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.
McCoughtry was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball. This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women
to be held in the Czech Republic
during September and October 2010.
, Maryland
and graduated from St. Frances Academy, then spent one year at the Patterson School in North Carolina
while working to attain NCAA Division I academic eligibility. She is listed at 6'1" tall and wears jersey number 35.
| align="left" | 2009
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 34 || 10 || 21.6 || .476 || .294 || .741 || 3.1 || 2.1 || 2.2 || 0.4 || 2.12 || 12.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 34 || 34 || 30.7 || .408 || .262 || .803 || 4.9 || 3.1 || 1.9 || 0.6 || 3.18 || 21.1
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 33 || 30 || 27.9 || .424 || .264 || .777 || 5.2 || 2.5 || 2.2 || 1.0 || 3.15 || 21.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | 3 years, 1 team
| 101 || 74 || 26.7 || .429 || .269 || .779 || 4.4 || 2.6 || 2.1 || 0.6 || 2.81 || 18.4
| align="left" | 2009
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 2 || 2 || 29.0 || .484 || .571 || .667 || 5.5 || 3.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 6.00 || 19.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 7 || 7 || 30.9 || .462 || .455 || .797 || 5.4 || 2.3 || 2.0 || 0.6 || 3.14 || 26.7
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Atlanta
| || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |3 years, 1 team
| 9 || 9 || 30.3 || .466 || .483 || .787 || 5.4 || 2.4 || 1.8 || 0.4 || 3.78 || 25.0
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
in the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
and is considered its franchise player
Franchise player
In professional sports, a franchise player is an athlete who is not simply the best player on their team, but a player that the team can build their "franchise" around for the foreseeable future...
. She also plays for the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
powerhouse Fenerbahçe Istanbul in the EuroLeague Women
EuroLeague Women
The EuroLeague Women is the highest professional basketball league in Europe for women’s clubs.Unlike Euroleague for men, the competition is entirely organized by FIBA Europe.-Between 2004-2011:...
.
Biography
McCoughtry led the Big East ConferenceBig East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
in scoring, rebounding, and steals, while breaking school records for most and steals in a season, most points in a season, and most points in a game. She was named Big East Player of the Year during her sophomore year in 2006-2007. In the summer of 2007, McCoughtry represented the United States on the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
women's basketball team. During her junior year at Louisville, McCoughtry broke her own records for points and steals on the season, and tied her own single-game scoring record. She played a key role in Louisville's upset of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
in the 2008 Big East conference tournament. In addition, McCoughtry was named an All-American by several organizations as a junior.
McCoughtry broke the record for career scoring by a Louisville women's basketball player during the first game of her senior year. She recorded her second triple-double (points, rebounds, steals) in a December 2008 game against the University of Hartford
University of Hartford
The University of Hartford is a private, independent, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in West Hartford, Connecticut. The degree programs at the University of Hartford hold the highest levels of accreditation available in the US, including the Engineering Accreditation Commission of...
. She was selected 1st overall by the Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
in the 2009 WNBA Draft
WNBA Draft
The WNBA Draft is an annual draft held by the WNBA through which WNBA teams can select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. The first WNBA draft was held in 1997...
.
WNBA
Upon joining the Atlanta Dream, McCoughtry soon made a name for herself as an outstanding scorer with excellent penetration and a penchant for drawing the foul. After grabbing Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, she went on to finish third and second in points per game for 2010 and 2011 respectively. She also led the league in free throw attempts twice. On September 8, 2010, McCoughtry set an WNBA playoff record with 42 points in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Liberty. In Game 1 of the 2011 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota LynxMinnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
, she set Finals records for most points in a quarter (19) and most points in a game (38).
McCoughtry is also heralded as a fine defensive player, not only placing near the top for steals, but also in the top ten for most blocks per game. She has been voted as a member of the league's All Defensive Teams in every year since her rookie season.
USA National Team
McCoughtry was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009. The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team travelled to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they competed in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.McCoughtry earned most valuable player honors at the Ekaterinburg International Invitational Tournament, as she helped the USA Basketball team win the competition.
McCoughtry was one of twenty players named to the national team pool. Twelve of this group will be chosen to represent the USA in the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.
McCoughtry was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball. This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women
FIBA World Championship for Women
The FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially...
to be held in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
during September and October 2010.
Personal life
McCoughtry grew up in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and graduated from St. Frances Academy, then spent one year at the Patterson School in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
while working to attain NCAA Division I academic eligibility. She is listed at 6'1" tall and wears jersey number 35.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
| 34 || 10 || 21.6 || .476 || .294 || .741 || 3.1 || 2.1 || 2.2 || 0.4 || 2.12 || 12.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
| 34 || 34 || 30.7 || .408 || .262 || .803 || 4.9 || 3.1 || 1.9 || 0.6 || 3.18 || 21.1
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
| 33 || 30 || 27.9 || .424 || .264 || .777 || 5.2 || 2.5 || 2.2 || 1.0 || 3.15 || 21.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | 3 years, 1 team
| 101 || 74 || 26.7 || .429 || .269 || .779 || 4.4 || 2.6 || 2.1 || 0.6 || 2.81 || 18.4
Postseason
|-| align="left" | 2009
2009 WNBA Playoffs
The 2009 WNBA Playoffs is the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2009 season.-Format:*The top 4 teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.**All 4 teams are seeded by basis of their standings....
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
| 2 || 2 || 29.0 || .484 || .571 || .667 || 5.5 || 3.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 6.00 || 19.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010
2010 WNBA Playoffs
The 2010 WNBA Playoffs is the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2010 season.-Format:*The top 4 teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.**All 4 teams are seeded by basis of their standings....
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
| 7 || 7 || 30.9 || .462 || .455 || .797 || 5.4 || 2.3 || 2.0 || 0.6 || 3.14 || 26.7
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 WNBA Playoffs
The 2011 WNBA Playoffs is the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2011 season. Four teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs seeded 1 to 4 in a tournament bracket, with the two opening rounds in a best-of-three format, and the final in a...
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
| || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |3 years, 1 team
| 9 || 9 || 30.3 || .466 || .483 || .787 || 5.4 || 2.4 || 1.8 || 0.4 || 3.78 || 25.0