Rebekkah Brunson

Rebekkah Brunson
Brunson in 2012
No. 32 – Minnesota Lynx
Position Power forward
League WNBA
Personal information
Born (1981-12-11) December 11, 1981
Washington D.C.
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school Oxon Hill (Oxon Hill, Maryland)
College Georgetown (2000–2004)
WNBA draft 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Monarchs
Playing career 2004–present
Career history
2004–2009 Sacramento Monarchs
2004–2006 Dexia Namur
2006–2007 Dynamo Moscow
2007–2010 Taranto Cras Basket
2010–present Minnesota Lynx
2010–2011 Ros Casares Valencia
2011–2012 Nadezhda Orenburg
2012–2013 USK Praha
2013–2016 Dynamo Kursk
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Representing the USA
Pan American Games
2003 Santo Domingo Team

Rebekkah Brunson (born December 11, 1981) is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). As of 2018, Brunson holds the WNBA record for rebounding.[1]

She was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Oxon Hill High School in Maryland. Brunson graduated from Georgetown University in 2004 as its women's basketball program's all-time leading rebounder. She also played on the U.S. team in the 2003 Pan American Games.

Brunson is currently the only player to win 5 WNBA championships.

College statistics

Source[2]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2000–01 Georgetown 32 474 50.9 – 56.3 9.2 0.7 1.8 0.9 14.8
2001–02 Georgetown 18 272 48.1 8.3 67.0 8.5 0.6 1.9 1.1 15.1
2002–03 Georgetown 29 481 46.3 43.8 67.0 10.7 1.5 2.0 1.8 16.6
2003–04 Georgetown 28 535 48.5 18.2 60.8 12.0 1.3 1.7 1.8 19.1
Career Georgetown 107 1762 48.5 25.6 62.5 10.2 1.1 1.9 1.4 16.5

WNBA career

Young woman with braided hair dyed light brown wearing a purple headband and purple jersey standing in a huddle
Brunson in 2006

The Sacramento Monarchs chose Brunson in the 1st round of the 2004 WNBA Draft as the tenth overall pick. She played in Sacramento for six seasons and contributed to the Monarchs' 2005 WNBA Championship victory. She led the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.9) and total offensive rebounds (130) for the 2007 regular season.

After the Monarchs suspended operations in the fall of 2009, the Minnesota Lynx acquired Brunson in a dispersal draft. In 2011, Brunson tied a WNBA record with six consecutive double-doubles, and was named WNBA Player of the Month for June, the first member of the Lynx to be so honored.[3] She was later named to the 2011 WNBA All-Star game, and started in place of an injured Candace Parker.[4]

Woman wearing yellow jersey facing away from camera, Brunson apparently just completed a pass
Nneka Ogwumike guards Brunson in 2016

Brunson led the Lynx in field goal percentage and rebounds in a year where the team had the best record in the WNBA. She was honored with her first appearance on the WNBA All-Defensive First Team; she had earned second-team honors three previous times. The Lynx would go on to win the 2011 WNBA Championship.

Brunson won her third league title in 2013. Brunson again made the All-Star Game, starting in place of the injured Brittney Griner. Brunson set the career mark for rebounds in the Finals, with 130, breaking the record held by former teammate Taj McWilliams-Franklin. She also broke McWilliams-Franklin's record for Finals games played, with 19.[5]

Thomas and Delle Donne wearing bright red uniforms attempt to squeeze Brunson out as she emerges between them
Brunson evading Krystal Thomas and Elena Delle Donne in the 2017 WNBA playoffs

In 2015, Brunson would win her fourth WNBA championship with the Lynx as they defeated the Indiana Fever in five games.

Following a finals loss in 2016 to the Los Angeles Sparks, Brunson would be selected into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game, replacing an injured Brittney Griner, making it her fourth career all-star game appearance. As of 2017, Brunson also became the all-time league leader in career offensive rebounds.

Brunson after setting all-time rebound record in 2018

Later on in the 2017 season, Brunson became the first player in league history to win 5 WNBA championships, as the Lynx defeated the Los Angeles Sparks in five games, avenging the previous year's Finals loss.

In 2018, Brunson would pass Tamika Catchings and become the league's all-time rebounding leader with 3,317.[6] Also in 2018, Brunson was announced as an all-star replacement for Nneka Ogwumike in the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, making it her fifth all-star appearance.[7] The Lynx finished 18-16 with the number 7 seed and lost in the first round elimination game to the Los Angeles Sparks, ending their streak of three consecutive finals appearances. Brunson also missed the playoffs due to injury.

Overseas career

During WNBA offseasons, Brunson has played for Taranto, an Italian professional basketball team, for the Dynamo team based in Russia, and Dexia Namur, a professional club in Belgium, and for Nadezhda team based in Orenburg, Russia. She then played for USK Prague, with which she won the Czech League title (4–2 vs BK Brno) and reached the Women's Euroleague Top 16. She played with Dynamo Kursk, along with Lynx teammate Seimone Augustus from 2013 to 2016.[8]

USA Basketball

Brunson was named to the team representing the USA at the 2003 Pan American Games. The team lost the opening game to Cuba, then rebounded to win their next five games, including an overtime win against Brazil. They then faced Cuba for the gold medal, falling short 75–64 to take home the silver medal. Brunson shot 57% from the field, and ended up as the leading scorer as well as the leading rebounder for the USA team.[9]

Brunson was one of 21 finalists for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball players, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London.[10]

Personal life

Brunson established and manages the 32 Foundation (named for her jersey number), which sponsors academic and athletic opportunities for youth in the metropolitan DC area.[11]

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
† Denotes seasons in which Brunson won a WNBA championship

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2004 Sacramento 34114.5.421.000.7173.60.60.60.30.84.4
2005† Sacramento 341621.2.427.000.5985.50.50.80.41.27.8
2006 Sacramento 341717.7.461.000.5875.60.50.60.41.16.8
2007 Sacramento 332928.2.473.000.6868.90.71.30.91.711.5
2008 Sacramento 303026.0.500.000.6717.10.41.20.61.710.9
2009 Sacramento 271724.6.486.000.7837.00.31.40.51.612.3
2010 Minnesota 303030.5.429.000.66310.30.81.20.91.611.3
2011† Minnesota 343427.6.511.000.6678.91.20.80.51.510.2
2012 Minnesota 313127.0.505.000.6798.91.21.10.91.211.4
2013† Minnesota 333329.2.4971.000.6368.91.51.20.81.110.6
2014 Minnesota 111127.5.395.000.7148.21.50.20.70.97.2
2015† Minnesota 343427.8.457.000.8318.11.81.10.71.57.8
2016 Minnesota 333324.6.477.000.8577.31.80.90.20.87.4
2017† Minnesota 303026.9.449.348.7116.71.51.10.41.610.2
2018 Minnesota 252527.7.405.375.6736.82.40.80.51.47.2
Career 15 years, 2 teams 45336825.2.466.341.6927.41.11.00.61.49.2

Postseason

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2004 Sacramento 6013.3.350.000.7142.80.50.30.60.53.2
2005† Sacramento 8834.3.446.000.4555.51.30.60.51.16.9
2006 Sacramento 9017.1.333.000.6433.60.60.30.61.06.0
2007 Sacramento 3329.3.613.000.7006.30.31.01.60.615.0
2011† Minnesota 8830.6.473.000.78110.81.50.80.61.611.9
2012 Minnesota 9933.7.489.000.7929.71.20.71.42.111.9
2013† Minnesota 7732.5.509.000.69210.12.30.70.81.710.6
2014 Minnesota 5529.0.417.0001.0007.01.41.40.60.86.8
2015† Minnesota 101029.5.435.000.6507.21.71.20.51.25.3
2016 Minnesota 8829.2.473.000.7926.52.51.20.61.58.9
2017† Minnesota 8827.9.361.111.7936.01.61.10.51.39.5
Career 11 years, 2 teams 816627.0.447.091.7267.01.40.90.71.38.4

References

  1. ↑ Andrews, Julian (July 5, 2018). "Rebekkah Brunson Becomes WNBA's All-Time Leading Rebounder". NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Women's Basketball Player stats". NCAA. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ Brunson Is 1st Lynx Player To Win Player Of Month. Minnesota.cbslocal.com (July 6, 2011). Retrieved on 2016-05-19.
  4. ↑ Minnesota's Rebekkah Brunson Selected to Start for Western Conference in 2011 WNBA All-Star Game presented by adidas. Wnba.com. Retrieved on May 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ WNBA Finals: Game 3 Recap. Startribune.com (October 11, 2013). Retrieved on 2016-05-19.
  6. ↑ Rebekkah Brunson Career in Photos
  7. ↑ Sparks' Nneka Ogwumike to miss All-Star Game, replaced by Rebekkah Brunson
  8. ↑ Lynx’s winter jobs. Startribune.com (October 14, 2013). Retrieved on 2016-05-19.
  9. ↑ "Fourteenth Pan American Games – 2003". USA Basketball. Feb 20, 2014. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Twenty-One Finalists In The Mix For Final 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster". USA Basketball. February 13, 2012. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  11. ↑ Rebekkah Brunson. wnba.com
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