Tina Thompson
Encyclopedia
Tina Marie Thompson is a professional 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 in the WNBA
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...

 for the Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...

. The first draft pick in WNBA history, Thompson was selected first by the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...

. She helped lead the Comets to four WNBA Championships. She has won two Olympic Gold Medals and has made 9 WNBA All-Star Game appearances, the most recent being 2009. She is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. She is also the only player to play in every WNBA season (15).

Early years

Tina grew up playing basketball with her brother TJ and his friends at Robertson Park in West Los Angeles, California. She recorded more than 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds in her high school career at
Morningside High School
Morningside High School
Morningside High is a public high school in Inglewood, California.-History:In 1951, the first two classes of students came to the Morningside Park area of Inglewood to attend the new Morningside High School. Incoming 9th graders came from the surrounding junior high schools, and a class of 10th...

 in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...

, where she also played 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...

. She then went on to play basketball at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

, where she graduated in 1997. She attended both high school and college with fellow WNBA player Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Deshaun Leslie-Lockwood is a former American professional women's basketball player in the WNBA. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner...

.

WNBA career

Thompson was selected #1 overall in the first round of the inaugural 1997 WNBA draft
1997 WNBA Draft
The 1997 WNBA Draft was the first annual draft held by the WNBA through which teams could select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. Unlike later drafts, this draft was unique because there were three different stages in which teams built their...

 by the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...

. There, she was a member of a dynasty that won four consecutive WNBA championships from 1997-2000. Thompson is a nine-time All-Star, winning MVP honors at the 2000 All-Star Game. She led all Western Conference players in All-Star voting in 2001. Thompson has been named to the All-WNBA First Team three times (1997, 1998, 2004) and All-WNBA Second Team four times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002).

She gave birth to her first child, a son whose father is NBA player Damon Jones
Damon Jones
Damon Darron Jones is an American professional basketball player. A 6'3" point guard–shooting guard, he played college basketball for three years with the University of Houston Cougars before declaring early for the 1997 NBA Draft, but he went undrafted.-High school career:Jones played for...

, in May 2005; she resumed playing with the Comets only two months later.

After the Comets were disbanded in 2008, Thompson joined the Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...

, where, on August 2010, she became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, passing Lisa Leslie. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in the fifteen year history of the WNBA.

She has several game-day superstitions, including taking a shower after shootaround, taking a 45-minute nap, wearing lipstick to play every game and dressing in a specific order.

Regular season

|-
| align="left" | 1997
1997 WNBA Season
-External links:*...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 28 || 28 || 31.6 || .418 || .370 || .838 || 6.6 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 1.0 || 2.21 || 13.2
|-
| align="left" | 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 27 || 27 || 32.4 || .419 || .359 || .851 || 7.1 || 0.9 || 1.2 || 0.9 || 1.74 || 12.7
|-
| align="left" | 1999
1999 WNBA season
-External links:**...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 32 || 32 || 33.6 || .419 || .351 || .782 || 6.4 || 0.9 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 2.25 || 12.2
|-
| align="left" | 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 32 || 32 || 34.0 || .469 || .417 || .837 || 7.7 || 1.5 || 1.5 || 0.8 || 2.63 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" | 2001
2001 WNBA season
-External links:**...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 30 || 30 || 36.7 || .377 || .293 || .840 || 7.8 || 1.9 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 2.90 || 19.3
|-
| align="left" | 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 29 || 29 || 36.3 || .431 || .370 || .823 || 7.5 || 2.1 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 3.17 || 16.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003
2003 WNBA season
-External links:***...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 28 || 28 || 34.8 || .413 || .342 || .779 || 5.9 || 1.7 || 0.6 || 0.8 || 2.46 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" | 2004
2004 WNBA season
-External links:***...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 26 || 26 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|36.3 || .402 || .407 || .789 || 6.0 || 1.8 || 0.8 || 0.9 || 2.65 || 20.0
|-
| align="left" | 2005
2005 WNBA season
-External links:***...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 15 || 15 || 29.3 || .413 || .300 || .762 || 3.8 || 1.5 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 2.13 || 10.1
|-
| align="left" | 2006
2006 WNBA season
-External links:*******...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 21 || 21 || 33.1 || .457 || .417 || .804 || 5.6 || 2.2 || 1.0 || 0.6 || 2.48 || 18.7
|-
| align="left" | 2007
2007 WNBA season
-External links:* * * * * * * *...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 34 || 34 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|36.3 || .420 || .400 || .834 || 6.7 || 2.8 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 3.29 || 18.8
|-
| align="left" | 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 30 || 29 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|35.8 || .413 || .406 || .859 || 6.9 || 2.2 || 1.1 || 0.7 || 3.77 || 18.1
|-
| 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" | Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...


| 34 || 34 || 34.8 || .385 || .369 || .867 || 5.9 || 2.3 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 2.76 || 13.0
|-
| 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" | Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...


| 33 || 33 || 33.2 || .446 || .352 || .872 || 6.2 || 1.8 || 1.2 || 0.7 || 2.33 || 16.6
|-
| 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" | Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...


| 34 || 33 || 25.0 || .386 || .339 || .833 || 4.6 || 1.1 || 1.2 || 0.7 || 2.00 || 9.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |15 years, 2 teams
| 433 || 431 || 33.6 || .417 || .368 || .829 || 6.4 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 2.61 || 15.6

Postseason

|-
| align="left" | 1997
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 2 || 2 || 37.0 || .429 || .400 || .600 || 9.0 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 3.00 || 13.0
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 5 || 5 || 37.2 || .408 || .350 || .917 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 1.60 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 6 || 6 || 34.7 || .368 || .375 || .762 || 5.0 || 0.7 || 0.8 || 1.2 || 2.17 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 6 || 6 || 38.8 || .403 || .391 || .944 || 8.0 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 1.67 || 12.7
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 2 || 2 || 34.0 || .550 || .600 || .800 || 6.0 || 3.5 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 5.00 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 3 || 3 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|42.7 || .364 || .333 || .700 || 8.0 || 1.3 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.67 || 14.3
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 3 || 3 || 35.3 || .391 || .231 || .857 || 4.7 || 1.7 || 0.7 || 2.0 || 2.00 || 15.0
|-
| align="left" | 2005
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 5 || 5 || 33.6 || .491 || .300 || .714 || 5.6 || 1.2 || 0.4 || 1.2 || 1.80 || 13.8
|-
| align="left" | 2006
2006 WNBA Playoffs
The 2006 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2006 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Shock defeating the Western Conference champion Sacramento Monarchs 3-2.-Format:...


| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...


| 2 || 2 || 31.5 || .381 || .400 || 1.000 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 2.50 || 13.5
|-
| 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" | Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...


| 6 || 6 || 36.3 || .378 || .462 || .958 || 7.0 || 2.8 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 2.50 || 15.2
|-
| 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" | Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...


| 2 || 2 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|39.0 || .333 || .286 || 1.000 || 6.0 || 3.0 || 1.5 || 2.0 || 1.50 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |11 years, 2 teams
| 42 || 42 || 36.4 || .403 || .373 || .852 || 6.6 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 2.07 || 13.5

International career

Thompson was an alternate for the 2000 Olympic squad. Thompson was a member of the U.S. women's basketball team and she earned a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games: Beijing 2008. She was named to the '98 and 2002 USA World Championship teams, but injuries kept her from both competitions. She would earn her gold medal in 2004 in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

.

Thompson has also participated in other professional leagues overseas. Following the 2001 WNBA season, Thompson played for Rovereto Basket in Rovereto, Italy and in 2003 she played for the Kumho Falcons of the Women’s Korea Basketball League (WKBL).

Overseas

  • 2001-2002:   Rovereto Basket
  • 2003:   Kumho Falcons
  • 2006-2007:   Spartak Moscow Region
  • 2010:   Municipal MCM Târgovişte
    Municipal MCM Târgovişte
    CSM Târgovişte is a prominent Romania professional basketball club that is based in Târgovişte, Romania.-History:At the end of the season 1991 - 1992, Targoviste was promoted to the first division of female basketball in Romania. In the first year of life, The team finished 9th in the...

    .

Vital statistics

  • Position: Forward
  • Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
  • College: University of Southern California
  • Team(s): Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA)

Awards and achievements

  • 4 time WNBA Championship
  • 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist
  • 2000 WNBA All-Star Selection
    2000 WNBA All-Star Game
    The 2000 WNBA All-Star Game was played on July 17, 2000 at America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. This was the 2nd annual WNBA All-Star Game.-Rosters:*1 Injured*2 Starting in place of injured player-Coaches:...

     (MVP)
  • 9 time WNBA All-Star Selection
  • Named to the All-WNBA team 8 times.
  • Member of the WNBA All-Decade Team
  • 1st in WNBA all-time scoring

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK