Ayana Walker facts for kids
| No. 12 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Forward | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 10, 1979 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| High school | Westbury (Houston, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 143 lb (65 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| College | Louisiana Tech (1998–2002) | ||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 20th overall | ||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Detroit Shock | |||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2002–2007 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Detroit Shock | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Charlotte Sting | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Detroit Shock | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Ayana D'Nay Walker (born September 10, 1979) is an American former basketball player. She played as a forward. Ayana is best known for her time with the Detroit Shock. She helped them win the WNBA Championship in 2003. She also won gold and silver medals playing for Team USA.
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Ayana Walker's Basketball Journey
Ayana Walker played college basketball for the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters. She was part of their team from 1998 to 2002. During her college years, she was recognized for her strong defensive skills. She was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2001. She also won the Sun Belt Tournament MVP award that same year.
Playing in the WNBA
In 2002, Ayana Walker was chosen in the WNBA draft. The Detroit Shock picked her as the 20th player overall. She quickly became an important part of the team.
In 2003, Ayana and the Detroit Shock had an amazing season. They won the WNBA Championship, which is the top prize in women's professional basketball. This was a big achievement for Ayana and her team.
After playing for the Shock, Ayana moved to the Charlotte Sting in 2005. She played there for a year. When the Sting team stopped playing, Ayana was picked by the Los Angeles Sparks in a special draft in 2007. However, she returned to the Detroit Shock for her final season in 2007 before retiring.
Representing Team USA
Ayana Walker also had a successful career playing for the USA Basketball Women's National Team.
World University Games 1999
In 1999, Ayana played for the US team at the World University Games. These games were held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Her team played well and won a silver medal. Ayana was a strong player, leading her team in blocked shots.
World University Games 2001
Ayana was chosen again for the US team in 2001. This time, the World University Games were in Beijing, China. The US team had a tough tournament but showed great teamwork. They faced strong teams like Russia and the host team, China.
In the gold medal game, the US team played against China again. The US team won the game, earning the gold medal! Ayana had an incredible performance in that game. She set a new record for the USA World University Games by getting 19 rebounds in one game. She was also the top scorer and rebounder for her team throughout the tournament.
