Michele Van Gorp
Encyclopedia
Michele Van Gorp is a former professional basketball
player in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA), most recently with the Minnesota Lynx
.
, Van Gorp played collegiate basketball at Purdue University
during her freshman and sophomore years, but transferred to Duke University
alongside Nicole Erickson for her junior and senior years. She was the tallest woman to suit up in a Duke uniform. She led Duke to the school's first NCAA final, which took place in San Jose. She was inducted to the school's Hall of Fame in 2002.
She missed most of the 2004 season due to a stress fracture
in her left foot that occurred during a practice session. Surgeons had to insert a screw into the navicular bone
of her foot. Van Gorp's contract with the Lynx had expired after the 2004 WNBA season ended, but she was still too injured to play for the 2005 season.http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=wnba&id=1874947
lawsuit
in Hennepin County District Court
against a member of the Lynx's medical staff and three other parties. The suit named Dr. Joel Boyd, the team's orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Fernando Pena; Fairview-University Medical Center; and Orthopaedic Center as defendants. Van Gorp was reported to be seeking at least $50,000 for negligence and loss of employment.
After leaving the WNBA, Van Gorp was reported to be the assistant coach of Glens Falls, New York
high school girls basketball team. In June 2007, Colgate University
in upstate New York announced that Van Gorp had been appointed as an assistant coach of its women's basketball team.http://www.gocolgateraiders.com/News/wbball/2007/6/25/WBB_20070625.asp?path=wbball. As of 2008 Michele Van Gorp was signed by the French Team Nantes- Reze for the 2008-2009 season .
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 in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA), most recently with the Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota 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...
.
Early career
After attending Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township, MichiganClinton Township, Michigan
Clinton Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Clinton Charter Township, Michigan in Macomb County*Clinton Township, Lenawee County, Michigan*Clinton Township, Oscoda County, Michigan...
, Van Gorp played collegiate basketball at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
during her freshman and sophomore years, but transferred to Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
alongside Nicole Erickson for her junior and senior years. She was the tallest woman to suit up in a Duke uniform. She led Duke to the school's first NCAA final, which took place in San Jose. She was inducted to the school's Hall of Fame in 2002.
Basketball career
The first Duke student athlete to be selected in the WNBA's draft in 1999, she was selected in the second round, being the 18th overall pick. Van Gorp was traded to Portland after her rookie season, where she improved her personal averages and gained confidence in her game. After only one year with the Portland Fire she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx alongside Lynn Pride. With the Lynx, Van Gorp gained recognition as one of the league's toughest defenders and an effective weapon to help "shut down" Margo Dydek.She missed most of the 2004 season due to a stress fracture
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...
in her left foot that occurred during a practice session. Surgeons had to insert a screw into the navicular bone
Navicular bone
The navicular bone is a small bone found in the feet of both humans and horses.- Human anatomy :The navicular bone is one of the tarsal bones, found in the foot. Its name derives from the bone's resemblance to a small boat, caused by the strongly concave proximal articular surface...
of her foot. Van Gorp's contract with the Lynx had expired after the 2004 WNBA season ended, but she was still too injured to play for the 2005 season.http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=wnba&id=1874947
International career
She has played in Europe for the following teams:- PanathinaikosPanathinaikosPanathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos is a multi-sport club based in Athens, Greece. It has the shamrock as its official emblem and green and white as its colours...
(1999) - Won the Rochetti Cup - ParmaParmaParma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
(2000) - CJM Bourges (2000) - Euroleague winner
- Dynamo Moscow (2003)
- Ros Casares ValenciaRos Casares ValenciaRos Casares Valencia is a women's professional Basketball team based in Valencia, Spain. The team currently plays in league Liga Femenina de Baloncesto.-Club names:* Dorna Godella* Costa Naranja* Ros Casares Godella* Ros Casares Valencia...
(2004)
After WNBA
According to a December 1, 2005, news article from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Van Gorp filed a medical malpracticeMedical malpractice
Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. Standards and...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in Hennepin County District Court
Hennepin County Government Center
The Hennepin County Government Center is the courthouse and primary county government administration building for Hennepin County in the State of Minnesota. It is located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, the county seat of Hennepin County...
against a member of the Lynx's medical staff and three other parties. The suit named Dr. Joel Boyd, the team's orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Fernando Pena; Fairview-University Medical Center; and Orthopaedic Center as defendants. Van Gorp was reported to be seeking at least $50,000 for negligence and loss of employment.
After leaving the WNBA, Van Gorp was reported to be the assistant coach of Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
high school girls basketball team. In June 2007, Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in upstate New York announced that Van Gorp had been appointed as an assistant coach of its women's basketball team.http://www.gocolgateraiders.com/News/wbball/2007/6/25/WBB_20070625.asp?path=wbball. As of 2008 Michele Van Gorp was signed by the French Team Nantes- Reze for the 2008-2009 season .