MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's Amber Holt was selected ninth overall by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA Draft on Wednesday, the highest selection for a Blue Raider in the 10-year history of the WNBA.
Holt led the nation in scoring with 27.4 points per game and was one of only two players in the country to post a pair of 40-point outings, netting 41 in an upset of No. 8 LSU in December and breaking a 21-year-old school-record.
Only two players in Sun Belt Conference history have been drafted higher, both from Louisiana Tech in 2000. Betty Lennox was taken sixth overall by the Minnesota Lynx and Tamicha Jackson was selected eighth overall by the Detroit Shock.
Holt was named a First Team All-American by CBSSports.com in March after leading the nation in scoring for more than half the season. She is the only First Team All-American in program history.
She was also voted Third Team All-American by the Associated Press, Honorable Mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and to the 10-member US Basketball Writers Association All-America team. It was the second straight season the Blue Raiders had an All-American on the AP and USBWA teams.
Holt finished the season with 930 points, the fifth most ever scored by any player in one season in NCAA history. She broke the single-season scoring record at Middle Tennessee, smashing the previous mark of 768 set last season by Chrissy Givens. Holt set single-season marks for scoring average (27.4), field goals (352), field goal attempts (680), free throws (206), free throw attempts (261) and 30-point scoring games (14).
The Duluth, Ga., native also tied for first in double-figure scoring games (34), ranked sixth in rebounding (274) and tied for ninth in steals (80). Her 8.1 rebounds per game tied for 19th on the single-season charts as well.
She recorded 14 games with 30 or more points, a new single-season record, 20 contests with eight or more rebounds, and 14 outings with four or more assists.
Holt finished her two-year career as a Blue Raider with 1,497 points, good for ninth on the all-time list. Her 22.0 points per game also tops the career charts. She ranks 12th on the career rebounding average list (7.2), sixth in free throws (346), ninth in free throw attempts (443) and sixth in free throw percentage (.781).
WNBA training camps begin April 20 and preseason contests start April 27. A complete draft summary may be found at wnba.com and learn more about the Connecticut Sun at http://www.wnba.com/sun/index_main.html.
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