Yolanda Griffith facts for kids
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| Born | March 1, 1970 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| High school | Carver (Chicago, Illinois) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 188 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
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| NBA Draft | 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall | ||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Sacramento Monarchs | |||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1993–2009 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | DJK Wildcats Aschaffenburg | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Long Beach Stingrays | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Chicago Condors | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2007 | Sacramento Monarchs | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Lavezzini Basket Parma | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | UMMC Ekaterinburg | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | UMMC Ekaterinburg | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Seattle Storm | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Indiana Fever | ||||||||||||||||
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Yolanda Evette Griffith (born March 1, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in both the ABL and the WNBA. Yolanda was an amazing player, known for her strong defense. She was named the 1999 WNBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) and the WNBA Finals MVP in 2005. That year, she also helped her team, the Sacramento Monarchs, win the WNBA championship!
Yolanda was also the 1999 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She led the league in rebounds and steals two times each. Fans voted her as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history in 2011. People sometimes called her by her nicknames: "Yo" and "Yo-Yo." Yolanda Griffith was added to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
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Early Life and High School
Yolanda Griffith was born in Chicago, Illinois. She went to George Washington Carver High School in Chicago. In her last year of high school (1988–1989), she was named a First-team Parade All-American. This means she was one of the best high school basketball players in the country! She was also a first-team All-America in softball.
College Basketball Journey
Yolanda was offered a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Iowa. However, she had to change her plans after her daughter, Candace, was born.
She then attended Palm Beach Junior College in Lake Worth, Florida. There, she earned Junior College All-America honors in 1990-91. Later, she moved to Florida Atlantic University. This was a Division II school at the time. She graduated in 1993 and was named the Kodak Division II Player of the Year. While in college, she worked for a car repossession company to support herself and her daughter.
Professional Basketball Career
Yolanda Griffith had a long and successful career playing basketball around the world.
Playing in Germany
After college, Yolanda started her professional career in Germany. She played for DJK Wildcats Aschaffenburg from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, she was the top scorer and rebounder in the Euroleague Women. She averaged an amazing 24.7 points and 17.1 rebounds per game!
American Basketball League (ABL)
After four seasons in Germany, Yolanda joined the American Basketball League (ABL). The Long Beach Stingrays chose her as the very first pick in the ABL player draft. In their only season, Yolanda led the Stingrays almost to the ABL championship. They lost to the Columbus Quest. Yolanda was named the 1997–1998 ABL Defensive Player of the Year. She was also on the All-ABL first team.
The Long Beach team stopped playing after the 1997–98 season. Yolanda then joined the Chicago Condors, a new team in her hometown. She played there only for a short time because the league closed down in December 1998. Before the league ended, Yolanda was one of the top players. She was fifth in scoring, first in rebounding, and second in steals and blocked shots.
WNBA Highlights
The Sacramento Monarchs picked Yolanda as the second overall draft pick in the 1999 WNBA draft. She became a seven-time WNBA All-Star. In 1999, she won three big awards: the MVP, Newcomer of the Year, and Defensive Player awards.
In 2001, Yolanda set a WNBA record for the most offensive rebounds in a single season with 162.
In 2005, the Monarchs won their first WNBA title! They beat the Connecticut Sun three games to one. Yolanda Griffith was named the Finals MVP for her amazing performance.
After nine seasons with the Sacramento Monarchs, Yolanda signed with the Seattle Storm in 2008. In 2009, she signed with the Indiana Fever.
On June 9, 2009, Yolanda tore her achilles tendon during a game. In August of the same year, she announced she was retiring from professional basketball. Even after retiring, she continued to be recognized for her impact. In 2011, fans voted her as one of the top 15 players in the WNBA's history. In 2016, she was honored again as part of the WNBA Top 20@20 team, celebrating the league's 20th season.
Playing in Europe
Many WNBA players also played in Europe during the winter when the WNBA season was over. Yolanda played two seasons for Lavezzini Basket Parma in Italy from 2000 to 2002. She also played for the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.
Coaching Career
After her playing career, Yolanda Griffith became a basketball coach. She started as an assistant coach with the Indiana Fever in 2009. She then coached at the college level for teams like Dartmouth, Lafayette, Albany, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 2018, she became an assistant coach with the Boston College Eagles.
Yolanda was very helpful in developing players, especially those who played near the basket. For example, at Dartmouth, she helped Arianne Hunter and Tia Dawson improve a lot. Dawson became the top rebounder and shot blocker in the Ivy League and was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week twice.
National Team Career
Yolanda Griffith was a member of the U.S. National Women's Basketball team twice. She won Gold Medals at the Summer Olympics in both 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens).
From 2013 to 2016, Yolanda was part of the USA Basketball Women's Development National Team Committee. This committee helps choose coaches and players for USA Basketball teams that compete in international championships for younger players.
See also
In Spanish: Yolanda Griffith para niños
