Monica Ashante Wright (born July 15, 1988) is an American
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
coach and former player. She played college basketball for
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and was selected second overall by the
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Founded pr ...
in the
2010 WNBA draft
The 2010 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 8, 2010. The first round was shown on ESPN2 ( HD), while the second and ...
. Outside of the
WNBA, she played professionally in Poland, Turkey, Australia, South Korea and Iceland.
She is currently the assistant general manager for the
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...
in the
WNBA.
Early life and high school career
Wright was born to Garry and Lynette Wright in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. She has an older brother named Gerard. Her family later moved to
Woodbridge, Virginia
Woodbridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located south of Washington, D.C.. Bounded by the Occoquan and Potomac rivers, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents at the 2020 census.
Woodbridge o ...
where she attended
Forest Park High School. At Forest Park, she averaged 22.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 4.0 steals per game. She was also the Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year and was ranked No. 2 guard and No. 11 player overall in the nation.
Wright was named a
WBCA All-American.
She participated in the 2006 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored eleven points,
and earned MVP honors for the White team.
College career
Wright attended the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
. In her freshman year as a Cavalier, she was named the ACC Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore, she was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team and also notched her 1,000th point. She missed being named to the All-ACC first team by two points that season. As a junior, Wright was named to the All-ACC defensive team and was also rewarded with a spot on the All-ACC first team as the league's top scorer. As a senior, Wright was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and National Defensive Player of the Year. She was also the 2010
WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year.
College statistics
Professional career
WNBA
Wright was selected by the
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Founded pr ...
with the second overall pick in the
2010 WNBA draft
The 2010 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 8, 2010. The first round was shown on ESPN2 ( HD), while the second and ...
. She went on to be named to the WNBA's all-rookie team. In 2011 and 2012, Wright played off the bench, backing up at both guard and forward. She expanded her role in 2013, becoming the primary backup at shooting guard and point guard, averaging 9.0 points per game. She won WNBA titles with the Lynx in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
and
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
.
On July 20, 2015, Wright was traded to the
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerl ...
in exchange for
Renee Montgomery
Renee Danielle Montgomery (born December 2, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of th ...
and a 2016 second-round draft pick. She missed the rest of the
2015 WNBA season
The 2015 WNBA season was the 19th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The regular season started on June 5 and playoffs concluded on October 14.
The Minnesota Lynx beat the Indiana Fever 69–52 in game five of the Fina ...
due to a right knee injury. After recovering from the injury, she debuted for the Storm in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
.
Overseas
For the 2010–11 season, Wright played in Poland for
Lotos Gdynia
Arka Gdynia is a Polish professional women's basketball club. It was founded in 1946 in the city of Gdańsk as Spójnia Gdańsk. In 1992 the club moved from Gdańsk to Gdynia and changed the name to Bałtyk Gdynia. Then it changed its name severa ...
. For the 2011–12 season, she played in Turkey for
Botaş SK
Botaş SK is a sports club based in Ankara. The major branch of the club is the women's basketball, currently performing at the Turkish Women's Basketball Super League. The club also competes in athletics.
Botaş is the first Turkish club to ...
. For the 2012–13 season, she played in Australia for the
Dandenong Rangers
The Dandenong Rangers were an Australian professional women's basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League ( WNBL). The club is based in Dandenong, Melbourne, Victoria. The team was founded as the Dandenong Rangers, howeve ...
of the
WNBL.
In 2013–14, Wright played in Korea for
Shinsegae One FX, but left the team in December 2013, reportedly without permission. For the 2014–15 season, she re-joined the Dandenong Rangers, but was released prior to the start of the season after complications with a troublesome knee arose. She started the 2015–16 season with Bnot Herzliya of Israel before signing with
Keflavík
Keflavík (pronounced , meaning ''Driftwood Bay'') is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. It is included in the municipality of Reykjanesbær whose population as of 2016 is 15,129.
In 1995, Keflavik merged with nearby Njarðv ...
of the Icelandic
Úrvalsdeild kvenna in January 2016. On 22 March 2016, she scored a season high 29 points in a loss against
Grindavík
Grindavík () is a fishing town on the Southern Peninsula (Iceland), Southern Peninsula of Iceland not far from the tuya Þorbjörn (mountain), Þorbjörn.
It is one of the few cities with a harbour on this coast. Most of the inhabitants work in ...
. In 6 games for Keflavík, she averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
On July 14, 2016, Wright signed with the
Perth Lynx
The Perth Lynx are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and play their home games at Bendat Basketball Centre. For sponsorship reasons, t ...
for the
2016–17 WNBL season
The 2016–17 WNBL season is the 37th season of competition since its establishment in 1981. The regular season begins on October 7, 2016 when the Sydney Uni Flames host the Perth Lynx and is scheduled to conclude on February 19, 2017. Townsville ...
.
She played in the Lynx's first four games of the season, but due to complications with a long-term knee injury, she was released by the team on October 19, 2016.
PERTH LYNX RELEASE MONICA WRIGHT
/ref>
WNBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, align="left" , 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 34 , , 24 , , 25.5 , , .370 , , .340 , , .819 , , 2.9 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 2.0 , , 11.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
†
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 29 , , 0 , , 13.6 , , .379 , , .259 , , .740 , , 1.6 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 1.0 , , 5.1
, -
, align="left" , 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 34 , , 7 , , 19.4 , , .458 , , .364 , , .740 , , 2.4 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.9 , , 8.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
†
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 33 , , 3 , , 22.5 , , .428 , , .256 , , .791 , , 2.9 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.8 , , 9.0
, -
, align="left" , 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 24 , , 9 , , 18.4 , , .419 , , .278 , , .738 , , 2.2 , , 2.1 , , 0.7 , , 0.3 , , 1.5 , , 5.8
, -
, align="left" , 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 7 , , 0 , , 11.4 , , .200 , , .167 , , .857 , , 0.9 , , 1.1 , , 0.3 , , 0.1 , , 1.0 , , 2.1
, -
, align="left" , 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, align="left" , Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 16 , , 0 , , 6.1 , , .308 , , .100 , , .600 , , 0.5 , , 0.7 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 0.9 , , 1.3
, -
, align="left" , Career
, align="left" , 7 years, 2 teams
, 177 , , 43 , , 18.5 , , .402 , , .303 , , .771 , , 2.2 , , 1.6 , , 0.9 , , 0.2 , , 1.6 , , 7.3
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
†
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 8 , , 0 , , 10.6 , , .360 , , .250 , , .333 , , 1.3 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 0.8 , , 2.5
, -
, align="left" , 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 9 , , 0 , , 19.3 , , .386 , , .286 , , .700 , , 2.3 , , 1.1 , , 1.6 , , 0.2 , , 1.2 , , 5.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
†
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 7 , , 0 , , 21.1 , , .472 , , .222 , , .667 , , 2.6 , , 1.1 , , 0.9 , , 0.1 , , 1.6 , , 9.1
, -
, align="left" , 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, align="left" , Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 15.4 , , .391 , , .400 , , 1.000 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 0.6 , , 0.2 , , 1.0 , , 4.6
, -
, align="left" , Career
, align="left" , 4 years, 1 team
, 29 , , 0 , , 16.7 , , .414 , , .280 , , .682 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.1 , , 5.4
National team career
Wright was selected as a member of the USA Women's U19 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approximately 140% of ...
. The event was held in July and August 2007, when the USA team defeated Sweden to win the championship. Wright averaged 9.8 points per game and led the team in steals.
Coaching career
After injuries ended her playing career, Wright turned to coaching. She was an assistant coach at Liberty University
Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
during the 2018–2019 season. In May 2019, she was hired as an assistant coach for the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team.
In January 2023, Wright was hired as an assistant general manager to the Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...
.
Personal life
Wright was once engaged to NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
superstar Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
.
References
External links
WNBA profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Monica
1988 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
African-American Christians
All-American college women's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Australia
American expatriate basketball people in Iceland
American expatriate basketball people in Israel
American expatriate basketball people in South Korea
American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
American women's basketball coaches
American women's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Texas
Basketball coaches from Virginia
Basketball players from San Antonio
Basketball players from Virginia
Botaş SK players
Monica Wright
Liberty Lady Flames basketball coaches
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Minnesota Lynx draft picks
Minnesota Lynx players
Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)
People from Woodbridge, Virginia
Perth Lynx players
Point guards
Seattle Storm players
Sportspeople from San Antonio
Sportspeople from the Washington metropolitan area
Monica Wright
Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball coaches
Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball players