Erika Valek
Encyclopedia
Erika Yaneth Valek is a former college basketball player for the Purdue Boilermakers
.
All-American. She participated in the 2000 WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored six points.
as the best women's college basketball player under 5'8" in 2004. She was also named to the 2003 All-Big Ten team and the 2003 NCAA East Regional all-tournament team.
by the Detroit Shock
and was traded with college teammate Shereka Wright and Sheila Lambert for Chandi Jones
in a draft day deal to the Phoenix Mercury
. Valek, however, was cut by the Mercury before the regular season and did not play for the team.
Purdue Boilermakers Women's Basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Purdue is rich in tradition and history, holding the record for Big Ten Championships, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning...
.
High school
Valek played for Lubbock Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas, where she was named a WBCAWomen's Basketball Coaches Association
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...
All-American. She participated in the 2000 WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored six points.
College
Valek, a point guard, won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith AwardFrances Pomeroy Naismith Award
The Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award is an annual college basketball award in the United States intended to honor shorter–than–average players who excel on the court despite their size. The award, named in honor of James Naismith's daughter–in–law, was established for men in 1969 and for women in 1984...
as the best women's college basketball player under 5'8" in 2004. She was also named to the 2003 All-Big Ten team and the 2003 NCAA East Regional all-tournament team.
Professional
She was drafted in the 2004 WNBA Draft2004 WNBA Draft
2004 WNBA Draft - 17 April 2004On January 6, 2004 a dispersal draft took place. Players were drafted from the roster of the Cleveland Rockers, who folded after the 2003 season....
by the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
and was traded with college teammate Shereka Wright and Sheila Lambert for Chandi Jones
Chandi Jones
-External links:*...
in a draft day deal to the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
. Valek, however, was cut by the Mercury before the regular season and did not play for the team.