April 11, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford women's basketball boasted a pair of first-round draft picks in Monday's 2011 WNBA Draft as seniors Kayla Pedersen (No. 7, Tulsa Shock) and Jeanette Pohlen (No. 9, Indiana Fever) took the next step in their hoops careers.
The selections of Pedersen and Pohlen mark the second time that Stanford has had two players picked in the first round of the WNBA Draft. Naomi Mulitauaopele (No. 12, Utah) and Katy Steding (No. 14, Sacramento) both went in the first round of the 2000 WNBA Draft.
Pedersen had her name called first Monday, going to the Tulsa Shock with the seventh overall pick in the draft. Pohlen would follow two spots later, returning to the site of the 2011 Final Four, Indianapolis, Ind., as the No. 9 overall selection to the Indiana Fever.
Pedersen and Pohlen became the eighth and ninth WNBA first-round picks out of Stanford, respectively.
One of the most versatile players in the nation over her four years on The Farm, Pedersen was the only Cardinal player to rank among the team's top three in scoring (12.6 ppg - third), rebounding (8.0 rpg - second), assists (123 - second), steals (35 - third) and blocks (27 - second). The Fountain Hills, Ariz. native collected All-Pac-10 honors all four years while also being named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2008. Along with Pohlen, she was part of the first four-year class in Cardinal history to go undefeated at Maples Pavilion (63-0 in her career) and reach four straight Final Fours.
Pedersen ended her Stanford career among the best ever. She leaves as both Stanford's and the Pac-10 Conference's all-time leading rebounder, grabbing a total of 1,266 boards. She also goes down as Stanford's all-time leader in minutes played (4,762), games started (149) and shares the school's record for games played (150) with Pohlen. Pedersen's 1,941 career points rank seventh on the Cardinal list, as well.
Pohlen, the only other player to play as many games as Pedersen, enjoyed a breakout 2010-11 season in which she earned All-America recognition from the Associated Press, the USBWA and the John R. Wooden Award. The Brea, Calif. native averaged career highs of 14.5 points and 4.75 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from behind the arc and making a Stanford single-season record 96 3-pointers en route to Pac-10 Player of the Year and All-Pac-10 honors.
She ends her Stanford career tied with Pedersen atop the games played list with 150, second with 268 3-pointers made and 711 attempted, sixth with 560 assists and 16th with 1,453 points. Pohlen graduates as just the fourth player in Stanford history to record 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds, joining Jennifer Azzi, Sonja Henning and Nicole Powell.
Together, the duo helped lead Stanford to four Final Fours, two national title games, a perfect 63-0 record at Maples Pavilion and an overall record of 137-14 (.907) from 2007-11.