Kristi Toliver, the 3rd overall pick in the last WNBA draft who will forever be remembered for hitting that amazing 3-pointer in Maryland’s 2006 NCAA Championship game, has signed with Raanana Hertzeliya for the upcoming season.
Kristi Toliver (5’6, 22) who was the 3rd pick in the 2009 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky, completes Raanana Hertzeliya’s roster for the upcoming season. Toliver is a gifted point guard with excellent shooting ability and a knack for hitting the big clutch shots. We all remember her from that night in Boston in 2006 when she forced overtime with an impossible 3-pointer in the NCAA finals, where Shay Doron’s Maryland upset Duke for the title.
Toliver came to the WNBA following a decorated career with the Terps, she was a starter all four years and won the national title as a freshmen. Toliver’s career numbers are 14.8 points and 5.4 assists per game, she upped her scoring average each season up to 18.4 in her senior year, as talent level around her gradually decreased. As a senior Toliver won the ACC Player of the Year award.
Toliver’s season with Chicago was full of ups and downs. In some games she didn’t get to play at all. In the games when Coach Key did give her a chance, she had some shining moments in which she was able to lead the team to victories. In the 2nd to last game of the season, Toliver’s 19 points helped the Sky get an important win over Indiana as they battled to get into the playoffs. It was the 4th time Toliver led the team in scoring, after registering a few 20-plus point games. Two days later in the final and deciding game against Detorit, Toliver player 9 minutes in a loss which ended the Sky’s season.
When asked about it, Coach Key noted that despite the young rookie’s stellar abilities, the transition to the WNBA was at times too difficult. He said Toliver her trouble dealing with the physicality of the league, which caused her inconsistency. The inconsistent minutes probably didn’t help much either. Toliver ended the season with 7.6 points and 1.9 assists in 14.3 minutes per game.
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photo by: washingtonpost.com |