Shannon Bobbitt

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Shannon Bobbitt, one of eight children, was born Dec. 6, 1985 in the Bronx, N.Y. She honed her early basketball skills on the neighborhood project courts of Harlem, where she played with boys whom she credits as helping to make her tougher. By the time she was in high school, however, it was the boys who were being schooled by Bobbitt, known for her wicked crossover (at least one video of which is on YouTube).

Shannon has begun her rookie professional basketball season, playing point guard for the Los Angeles Sparks. This follows a stellar college career in which Bobbitt won two Division I national titles at the University of Tennessee, after coming from a Junior College - a seemingly improbable task for a 5'2" basketball player.

1 High School
2 Junior College
3 Division I
4 WNBA
5 External links

[edit] High School

A graduate of Murry Bergtraum High School in New York, Bobbitt helped lead her team to two straight PSAL and State Federation titles. As a junior, the team was national champions and in Bobbitt's senior season, MBHS finished third in the nation.

[edit] Junior College

The guard decided Junior College was her best option out of high school, so she chose Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, TX, because they had just won a national title. During the 2005-06 season, Bobbitt handed out 211 assists to rank third in the nation in assists broke the 22-year old school record at Trinity Valley for her career in that category. She lead Trinity Valley to the NJCAA National Tournament, and the 2006 Region XIV Championship with a 30-2 record overall and 18-0 mark in conference play. Bobbitt was the 2006 Women's Basketball Coaches Association Junior College Player of the Year.

[edit] Division I

Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt awarded Bobbitt a scholarship, which some thought a risk. But Summitt said she had found "a true point guard" in Bobbitt. She was correct. Bobbitt proved herself to be a vocal leader on the court, guiding the Volunteers to the regular season SEC title in 2006-2007. Bobbitt's play was also key in ending the nine-year UT title drought, as the Volunteers defeated Rutgers for the National Championship on April 3, 2007. Bobbitt was named to the All-Tournament team.

The defending champions successfully defended their title in 2007-2008, again behind their point guard, who guided them to a title by defeating Stanford on April 8, 2008.

To those who have questioned how a short basketball player could make such an impact, and rise from junior college ranks to professional ball, Bobbitt explains that "it's not about the size, it's about the heart."

[edit] WNBA

Bobbitt was the 15th pick in the 2008 WNBA draft on April 9, 2008, as the Sparks made her the first pick in the second round. Bobbitt joins teammate Candace Parker and former teammate Sidney Spencer on the Los Angeles squad, which also features Olympian Lisa Leslie.

"The chemistry of this team is great," Sparks co-owner Kathy Goodman says. "We love Bobbitt."