Katrina Price
Encyclopedia
Katrina Price was an America
n basketball
player. A star guard in her college career at Stephen F. Austin State University
, Price's professional career was cut short when she died by suicide in her rookie season.
with a 4.25 GPA. In her senior year she led La Vega High School
(Waco, Texas) to the 1994 state finals and a 32-4 record, and averaged 30.0 point
s, 13.0 rebound
s, 6.0 assist
s, and 5.0 steal
s per game. The previous year, she was named 1993 Volleyball
MVP of District 17-3A, for her performance in that sport.
career, Price was Stephen F. Austin State University
's all-time leading scorer with 2,278 career points and two-time Southland Conference
player of the year. A 5'-10" guard, she was a third-team AP
All-American (first team Academica All American) selection her senior season (1997-1998), averaging 22.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. As of 2001 Price held the record for most three-point field goal
s in a single championship game, with seven, in a game against the University of Toledo
in 1997.
Price excelled academically as well as athletically. In high school she was second in her graduating class, and she made the Dean's List every semester she was in college.
In international competition, in 1997 her USA Basketball
team won a silver medal at the R. William Jones Cup in a round-robin tournament in Taiwan
, losing only to the South Korea
n team.
in the 1998 American Basketball League
draft, but the team disbanded before she could play a game. She was assigned to the Philadelphia Rage
roster in August. She was a reserve guard, playing in 12 of the Rage's 14 games before the league shut down in late December.
, of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. She was just 23 years old.
Ten years later, Price's bright career and the circumstances of her tragic end are still remembered.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n basketball
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. A star guard in her college career at Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
, Price's professional career was cut short when she died by suicide in her rookie season.
High School career
Price showed significant promise in high school, and in 1994, was named Central Texas Player of the Year and co-Most Valuable Player for Central Texas Female Athlete of the Year. She was also a class salutatorianSalutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
with a 4.25 GPA. In her senior year she led La Vega High School
La Vega Independent School District
La Vega Independent School District is a public school district based in Bellmead, Texas .The district is located in central McLennan County and serves the city of Bellmead and parts of Waco....
(Waco, Texas) to the 1994 state finals and a 32-4 record, and averaged 30.0 point
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
s, 13.0 rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s, 6.0 assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
s, and 5.0 steal
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
s per game. The previous year, she was named 1993 Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
MVP of District 17-3A, for her performance in that sport.
College career
In her Division I NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
career, Price was Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
's all-time leading scorer with 2,278 career points and two-time Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
player of the year. A 5'-10" guard, she was a third-team AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-American (first team Academica All American) selection her senior season (1997-1998), averaging 22.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. As of 2001 Price held the record for most three-point field goal
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
s in a single championship game, with seven, in a game against the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
in 1997.
Price excelled academically as well as athletically. In high school she was second in her graduating class, and she made the Dean's List every semester she was in college.
In international competition, in 1997 her USA Basketball
USA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
team won a silver medal at the R. William Jones Cup in a round-robin tournament in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, losing only to the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n team.
Professional career
Price was a seventh overall pick of the Long Beach StingRaysLong Beach Stingrays
The Long Beach Stingrays was a women's professional basketball team. It existed for only the 1997-98 season, and was a member of the American Basketball League....
in the 1998 American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1996-1998)
The American Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was an independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. At the same time the ABL was being formed, the National Basketball Association was creating the Women's National Basketball Association...
draft, but the team disbanded before she could play a game. She was assigned to the Philadelphia Rage
Philadelphia Rage
The Richmond Rage, which after one year relocated to become the Philadelphia Rage, were one of the eight original franchises of the American Basketball League , a women's professional basketball league...
roster in August. She was a reserve guard, playing in 12 of the Rage's 14 games before the league shut down in late December.
Death
Price died in Nacogdoches, TexasNacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
, of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. She was just 23 years old.
Ten years later, Price's bright career and the circumstances of her tragic end are still remembered.