Emma Meesseman

Emma Meesseman
Meesseman guarding Maya Moore in 2017
No. 33 – Washington Mystics
Position Center
League WNBA
Personal information
Born (1993-05-13) May 13, 1993
Ypres, West Flanders
Nationality Belgian
Listed height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight 182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
WNBA draft 2013 / Round: 2 / Pick: 19th overall
Selected by the Washington Mystics
Playing career 2009–present
Career history
2009–2012 Iper Blue Cats
2009–2012 Lotto Young Cats
2012–2014 ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq
2013–present Washington Mystics
2014–2016 WBC Spartak Moscow Region
2016–2018 UMMC Ekaterinburg
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
European Championship
2017 Czech Republic
European Under-18 Championship
2011 Romania

Emma Meesseman (born May 13, 1993) is a Belgian professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was the 2011 FIBA Europe Young Women's Player of the Year.[1]

Professional career

WNBA

Meesseman was drafted 19th overall in the second round of the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. In her rookie season, Meesseman was a back-up center on the Mystics' roster, averaging 4.4 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game in 34 games with 1 start.

In the 2014 season, Meesseman became the starting center for the Mystics and averaged 10.1 points per game and a career-high 6.4 rebounds per game.

In the 2015 season, Meesseman would play outside her natural position after being moved to power forward in the Mystics' starting line-up to make room for Stefanie Dolson at the center position.[2][3] Meesseman would have a breakout season in 2015, averaging 11.6 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, was ranked fifth in blocks per game and also added three-point shooting to her skill set. Meesseman scored a career-high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds in a loss against the Tulsa Shock on June 19, 2015.[4] She also made her first career all-star game appearance after being voted into the 2015 WNBA All-Star Game.[5]

In 2016, Meesseman signed a three-year contract extension with the Mystics.[6] During the 2016 season, Meesseman would have the best season of her career thus far, averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game and led the league in three-point field goal percentage.[7]

In 2017, after the Mystics traded Dolson to the Chicago Sky, Meesseman continued her role at the power forward spot in the starting lineup. In the Mystics' season opener, Meesseman scored 13 points along with 8 rebounds in a 89–74 victory over the San Antonio Stars.[8] During the 2017 season, Meesseman left the Mystics after the first four games due to overseas commitment to play for her national team during the FIBA world championship qualifying tournament. She returned on May 12, 2017, for practice and was activated to play on the Mystics' roster on June 28, 2017.[9][10] On July 30, 2017, Meesseman scored a new career-high of 30 points along with 10 rebounds in a 77–70 victory over the Atlanta Dream.[11] The Mystics secured a playoff berth as the #6 seed in the league with an 18-16 record. In the first round elimination game, the Mystics defeated the Dallas Wings 86-76, Meesseman scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.[12] They advanced to the second round elimination game, where they defeated the #3-seeded New York Liberty, 82-68, advancing to the semi-finals, making it the first time in franchise history where the Mystics have advanced past the second round. Meeeseman scored 5 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the win.[13] In the semi-finals, the Mystics were defeated by the Minnesota Lynx in a 3-game sweep.

In January 2018, it was announced that Meeeseman would sit out the enitre 2018 season to play for Team Belgium in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup tournament.[14]

Overseas

Meesseman in 2013

Meesseman's club career began at the age of 16. She played domestically for the Blue Cats, based in her birth town of Ypres, and in the EuroCup for Lotto Young Cats, also in her native Belgium. In her second season with the Blue Cats she was named Belgium Championship MVP, and took the Young Cats to two EuroCups (2010–12).

In 2012, she joined ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball. In her second year with the club she played in her third EuroCup, reaching the semi-finals before falling to WBC Dynamo Moscow.[15]

Meesseman played for Spartak Moscow from 2014 to 2016, competing in two EuroCup tournaments. In February 2016, she was acquired by UMMC Ekaterinburg.[16]

With UMMC Ekaterinburg, Meesseman won the Russian National League championship both in 2017 and 2018. In April 2018, Meesseman and UMMC Ekaterinburg won the 2017–18 EuroLeague, Europe's premium basketball competition for women. Meesseman, averaging 19 points in the Final Four tournament, was elected Final Four MVP.

International

Meesseman made her debut for Belgium at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship for Women. In the final, Meesseman led the team to victory 77-49 over France, herself scoring 25 points, and was named tournament MVP.[17] On November 25, 2015, she scored 31 points, made seventeen rebounds and five assists for the women's senior team in a EuroBasket Women 2017 qualifier against Belarus.

In Belgium's quarterfinal Eurobasket 2017 match against Italy, she scored 28 points, had 11 rebounds, five assists, and five blocked shots.

Meesseman was named to the All Star five of the tournament, leading Belgium to its best ever finish, a Bronze Medal in EuroBasket.

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career high League leader

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2013 Washington 34114.7.446.000.8103.11.20.50.70.84.4
2014 Washington 343427.4.520.000.9096.42.51.41.01.710.1
2015 Washington 343427.2.556.462.8296.31.70.91.31.211.6
2016 Washington 343429.3.533.448.8005.62.31.20.71.215.2
2017 Washington 232128.4.482.318.8705.72.80.91.51.714.1
Career 5 years, 1 team 15912425.2.517.391.8435.42.11.01.01.410.9

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2013 Washington 3012.5.455.000.6671.31.00.01.01.34.0
2014 Washington 2233.3.526.0001.0008.00.01.51.04.012.5
2015 Washington 3333.1.379.250.6676.71.30.01.31.69.0
2017 Washington 5531.2.302.231.7005.42.61.41.60.69.6
Career 4 years, 1 team 131027.7.369.235.7505.21.50.81.31.58.6

Personal life

Her mother, Sonja Tankrey, is a former basketball player.[18] She was the Belgian Women's Basketball Player of the Year in 1983.[19]

Meesseman speaks fluent Dutch, French and English. Meesseman was also born with 50% hearing. She wears hearing devices behind both ears to compensate for her lack of hearing.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "EMMA MEESSEMAN PRESENTED WITH AWARD". eurobasketwomen2013.com. June 14, 2012. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mystics All-Star silent no more". Swish Appeal. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Dolson has brought the best out of Meesseman". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  4. ↑ "Pierson lifts Shock past Mystics". sportsnetwork.com. June 19, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  5. ↑ Wang, Gene (July 21, 2015). "Mystics' Dolson, Meesseman selected to WNBA All-Star Game". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Meesseman signs extension with the Mystics through 2019". Bullets Forever. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  7. ↑ Ward, Elle (September 17, 2016). "Emmma Meesseman leads league in three-point shooting". Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  8. ↑ "05/14/17: San Antonio Stars @ Washington Mystics - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  9. ↑ "Transactions - WNBA". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  10. ↑ Wang, Gene (2017-05-12). "Mystics welcome Emma Meesseman back for first practice". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  11. ↑ "Recap: Meesseman scores career-high 30 to lead Mystics to 77-70 win". Bullets Forever. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  12. ↑ Capital One Arena Wednesday, September 6, 2017
  13. ↑ Madison Square Garden Sunday, September 10, 2017
  14. ↑ Emma Meesseman to miss 2018 WNBA season, will return in 2019
  15. ↑ "Emma MEESSEMAN".
  16. ↑ "UMMC Ekaterinburg acquires Emma Meesseman from Sparta&k". February 10, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Meesseman Leads All Tournament Team". FIBA Europe. August 14, 2011.
  18. ↑ "MEESSEMAN, THE RELUCTANT BELGIAN STAR". Fibaeurope.com. September 2, 2012.
  19. ↑ Larsimont, Bert (April 18, 2013). "Making sense of the Mystics' Meesseman mystery pick". fullcourt.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  20. ↑ Giannotto, M. (June 18, 2013). "Washington Mystics' Emma Meesseman overcomes hearing disorder". The Washington Post.
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