Morenike Atunrase
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| Position | Guard / Forward |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 143 pounds (64.9 kg) |
| Team | San Antonio Silver Stars |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | April 14, 1986 Shreveport, Louisiana |
| College | Texas A&M |
| Draft | 24th overall, 2008 Atlanta Dream |
| Pro career | 2008 – present |
Morenike Olayinka Atunrase is an American basketball player for the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars. She was drafted in 2008 out of Texas A&M, where she played from 2000–04.[1]
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[edit] Early years
Atunrase attended Southwood High School in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, where she played basketball all four years. As a freshman and sophomore, she was named to the all-state second team. As a junior and senior, she won Louisiana's Most Valuable Player honor. She helped her team to win the state championship both her sophomore and junior years. As a senior, she won was named MVP and Player of the Year by the Shreveport Times. She was also awarded honorable mention All-America honors by Street & Smith's. In her high school career, she averaged 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.[2][3]
[edit] Texas A&M
As a freshman in the 2004–05 season, Atunrase was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week three times, and became the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after the regular season.[4]
As a sophomore, she was Big 12 Player of the Week for one week.[5] She was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team.[6]
In her junior year, she was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team,[7] and became a preseason Naismith Trophy candidate.[8] She also guided the team to their first-ever regular season conference championship.
Atunrase had to get surgery in October 2007 to correct a non-healing stress fracture in her tibia, causing her to miss the first nine games. She received the Big 12 Sixth Man Award her senior season.[9] In the 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament, she guided the team to their first Elite Eight appearance in program history.
She became the Aggies' all-time leading shot blocker with her 175 blocks.
[edit] WNBA
In the 2008 WNBA Draft, Atunrase was picked by the Atlanta Dream at No. 24. Immediately following the draft, she was traded to the San Antonio Silver Stars. The Stars also acquired Ann Wauters and a 2009 second round draft pick as part of the trade.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ Atunrase headed to San Antonio | ShreveportTimes | The Times
- ^ Morenike Atunrase. Texas A&M Athletics. Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
- ^ 2003-04 Big 12 Women's Basketball Signees :: <blank>
- ^ Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball 2004-05 All-Conference Team Announced :: <blank>
- ^ Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Players of the Week for March 3 :: <blank>
- ^ 2005-06 PHILLIPS 66 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Awards Announced :: <blank>
- ^ Big 12 Announces Women's Basketball Preseason Individual Honors :: <blank>
- ^ Five Big 12 Women's Basketball Players Named Naismith Trophy Preseason Candidates :: <blank>
- ^ 2007-08 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Awards Announced :: Patterson and Paris named Big 12 Coach and Big 12 Player of the Year, respectively
- ^ "WNBA: Silver Stars again make splash with draft-day trade".
