Imani Wright (born February 6, 1995) is a former American professional basketball player. She was drafted and played one season with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA during the 2018 WNBA season. She played college basketball at Florida State and Baylor.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 5, 1995 Talladega, Alabama, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Liberty-Eylau High School (Texarkana, Texas) |
| College |
|
| WNBA draft | 2018: 3rd round, 26th overall pick |
| Selected by the Phoenix Mercury | |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Position | Guard |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2018 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 2018-2019 | Femeni Sant Adria |
| As coach: | |
| 2019-2020 | Pittsburgh (Ast. DOBO) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
College career
editWright came out of high school as the 31st overall ranked recruit per ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100.[1] Wright committed to Baylor and joined the 20th ranked incoming freshman class.[2] Wright spent the first two years of her college career with the Lady Bears. During her sophomore season with Baylor, Wright became the starter and led the team in 3-pointers made for the year.[3] Following her sophomore season, Wright decided that she would leave Baylor and transfer.[4]
Wright transferred to Florida State and had two years of eligibility remaining.[5] She had to sit out 2015–2016 season due to the NCAA Transfer rules. During the two years she did play for the Seminoles, Wright continued to shoot lights out, as she recorded an FSU single-season record with 103 made 3-pointers during her redshirt senior season.[6] For the 2017–2018 season, Wright was named to the All-ACC First Team by both the Coaches and Media, as well as being named an AP Honorable Mention All-American.[7][8]
College statistics
edit| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Baylor | 37 | 195 | .290 | .276 | .811 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 5.3 |
| 2014–15 | Baylor | 37 | 349 | .389 | .316 | .734 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 9.4 |
| 2015–16 | Florida State | Redshirted - NCAA Transfer | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Florida State | 35 | 375 | .392 | .378 | .690 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 10.7 |
| 2017–18 | Florida State | 32 | 523 | .407 | .383 | .724 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 16.3 |
| Career | 141 | 1442 | .380 | .349 | .736 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 10.2 | |
WNBA career
editPhoenix Mercury
editWright was selected 26th overall in the Third Round of the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury.[9] Wright made it through training camp and made the Opening Night roster for the Mercury.[10] Wright made her WNBA debut on May 23, 2018, when the Mercury played the Seattle Storm. Wright recorded 1 minute of action and attempted 1 3-pointer. Wright was waived a few days later from the Mercury.[11]
WNBA career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Phoenix | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Career | 1 year, 1 team | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Coaching career
editWright joined the staff of the Pittsburgh Panthers women's basketball team as the assistant director of Basketball Operations for the 2019–2020 season. She spent one season with the Panthers.[12]
Personal life
editWright's dad is Larry Wright who was drafted 14th overall in the 1976 NBA draft. Wright is also cousins with Matt Forte, who played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.[6]
References
edit- ^ "2013 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Ieshia Small joins loaded Baylor class". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Davis, Joshua. "Imani Wright, Ieshia Small no longer on Kim Mulkey's roster". baylorlariat.com. Baylor Lariot. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Imani Wright joins 2 with remaining eligibility to leave Lady Bears". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Wright transfers to FSU from Baylor in women's basketball". Tallahassee.com. Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ a b "IMANI WRIGHT". seminoles.com. FSU Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Eiland, Clint. "Shakayla Thomas, Imani Wright Named AP All-Americans". thedailynole.com. The Daily Nole. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "All-ACC Women's Basketball Teams Announced". theacc.com. ACC. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Weiler, Curt. "Florida State's Imani Wright selected 31st overall by Phoenix Mercury in WNBA Draft". Tallahassee.com. Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Season Preview: Phoenix Mercury enter 2018 with focus on franchise's 4th title". brightsideofthesun.com. SB Nation. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Dull, Ben. "Phoenix Mercury sign Angel Robinson, waive Imani Wright". highposthoops.com. High Post Hoops. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "IMANI WRIGHT". Pittsburghpanthers.com. Pittsburgh Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2023.