Candice Wiggins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Candice Wiggins

Point guard / shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1987-02-14) February 14, 1987 (age 38) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
High school	La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, California)
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	154 lb (70 kg)
Career information
College	Stanford (2004–2008)
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Minnesota Lynx
Pro career	2008–2015
Career history
2008–2012	Minnesota Lynx
2008–2009	Ros Casares Valencia
2009–2010	Sony Athinaikos Athens
2013	Tulsa Shock
2014	Los Angeles Sparks
2015	New York Liberty
Career highlights and awards
WNBA champion (2011) WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year (2008) WNBA All-Rookie Team (2008) Senior CLASS Award (2008) Wade Trophy (2008) First-team All-American – AP (2008) 3x Second-team All-American – AP (2005–2007) 3x All-American – USBWA (2006–2008) 4x Kodak/State Farm Coaches' All-American (2005–2008) First-team All-Pac 10 (2008) 3x Pac-10 Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2008) 3x Pac-12 Tournament MOP (2005, 2007, 2008) 3x All-Pac 10 (2005–2007) USBWA National Co-Freshman of the Year (2005) Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2005) Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (2005) McDonald's All-American (2004)
Medals Representing USA U18 and U19 Gold 2004 U18 Puerto Rico Team Competition Gold 2005 U19 Tunisia Team Competition Pan American Games Gold 2007 Brazil Team Competition

Candice Dana Wiggins (born February 14, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. She played college basketball at Stanford University. There, she became the all-time leading scorer for Stanford and the Pac-10 women's basketball history.

During her career, Wiggins played for several teams. These include the Minnesota Lynx, Tulsa Shock, Los Angeles Sparks, and New York Liberty. These teams are all part of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also played basketball overseas in Spain and Greece. Wiggins won a WNBA championship in 2011. She was also named WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2008.

Early Life and Family

Candice Wiggins was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987. Her father, Alan Wiggins, was a professional baseball player. He played for the Baltimore Orioles. After playing for the Orioles, her family moved back to San Diego, California. Her father had played for the San Diego Padres before.

When Candice was three, she was hit by a car. She almost lost one of her eyes. In first grade, she scored 30 points in a basketball game against older kids. By fifth grade, she played on boys' teams to find tougher competition.

Candice's father passed away when she was four years old. She later partnered with "Until There's A Cure" (UTAC). This group helps raise awareness and money to fight AIDS.

High School Basketball Star

Wiggins went to La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California. She played both volleyball and basketball for four years. Every year, she was named CIF Division IV Player of the Year for basketball.

As a senior, Wiggins was a McDonald's All-American. She led her high school team to the state championship game four times. They won the championship twice. She also captained the United States Junior National Team, which won a gold medal. Many experts thought she was one of the best players in her class.

College Career at Stanford

Candice Wiggins received a scholarship to Stanford University. She was offered a spot on both the basketball and volleyball teams. She chose to play basketball.

Freshman Year Success

As a freshman, Wiggins helped Stanford achieve a 32–3 record. They reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. She scored 17.5 points per game. She was named both Pac-10 Conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year. This was the first time a freshman won the Player of the Year award in the conference. She was also named National Co-Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore and Junior Years

In her second year, Wiggins led Stanford to a 26–8 record. They again reached the Elite Eight, but lost to LSU. She averaged 21.8 points per game and made 90 three-pointers. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Year again.

As a junior, Stanford had a 29–5 record. They were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Wiggins missed five games due to injuries. She still averaged 16.9 points per game.

Wiggins played for the USA team in the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil. Her team won all five games and earned the gold medal.

Senior Year Highlights

In her final season, Stanford started ranked No. 8. They moved up after beating strong teams like Rutgers and Baylor. On January 31, 2008, Wiggins became Stanford's all-time leading scorer. On March 2, 2008, she passed Lisa Leslie to become the Pac-10's all-time leading scorer. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Year for the third time.

On March 24, 2008, Wiggins scored a career-high 44 points. She also had 10 rebounds and eight assists in a win over UTEP. This helped Stanford reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. A week later, her 41 points led Stanford to the Final Four for the first time since 1997. They reached the final game but lost to the University of Tennessee. During the NCAA Tournament, Wiggins became the only player in NCAA women's basketball history to score 40 or more points in multiple tournament games.

Wiggins is one of only seven women's basketball players to be a four-time All-American. She won the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and the Wade Trophy in 2008. These awards recognize the best college basketball players. She graduated from Stanford in 2008 with a degree in communications.

College Statistics

WNBA Career

Starting Out (2008–2010)

The Minnesota Lynx picked Candice Wiggins third overall in the 2008 WNBA draft. Her first WNBA game was on May 18, 2008. She scored 15 points and helped the Lynx win.

Wiggins was named WNBA Rookie of the Month in June 2008. She won the 2008 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award. She was also named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team. She averaged 15.7 points per game coming off the bench.

In her second season, Wiggins became the starting point guard for the Lynx. She won the Player of the Week Award for the Western Conference in June 2009. In 2010, she moved back to a backup role. She suffered an Achilles tendon injury in June 2010. This injury ended her season after only eight games.

Championship and Later Years (2011–2015)

Wiggins returned to play in 2011 as a key backup guard. The Lynx team improved a lot that year. In October 2011, Wiggins won her first WNBA championship. The Lynx defeated the Atlanta Dream in the Finals.

On March 1, 2013, Wiggins was traded to the Tulsa Shock. She then signed with the Los Angeles Sparks on April 2, 2014. Her last team was the New York Liberty, where she signed on March 9, 2015.

Retirement from Basketball

Candice Wiggins announced her retirement from the WNBA on March 22, 2016. She played for eight seasons. She was only 29 years old when she retired. Wiggins said she was ready to move on from playing professional basketball.

WNBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

USA Basketball Team

Wiggins was part of the USA Women's U18 team. This team won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Rico in 2004. Wiggins was the third-highest scorer for the team.

She continued with the team as it became the U19 team. They competed in the 2005 U19 World Championships in Tunisia. The USA team won all eight games and earned another gold medal. Wiggins was the second-highest scorer for this team.

U.S. National Team

Wiggins was invited to try out for the United States Senior National Team. She was one of the few college players chosen for the team. She spent the summer of 2007 playing in Chile with different U.S. National teams. She was named United States Basketball Female Athlete of The Year for 2007.

In 2009, Wiggins was invited to a training camp for the USA Basketball Women's National Team. Players from this camp are often chosen for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympics. She was also chosen for training camps in 2011 for the 2012 Olympics. However, she was not selected for the final Olympic team.

Sports Diplomacy Work

In September 2013 and November 2014, Wiggins traveled to Nicaragua and Chile. She went as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. In this role, she worked with other athletes like Jennifer Lacy and Alex English. They held basketball clinics and events for over 850 young people and women. These events focused on helping those from underserved areas.

See also

In Spanish: Candice Wiggins para niños

• 2008 WNBA draft