Laura Harper (basketball)

Laura Ashley Harper (born April 11, 1986) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently a women's basketball assistant coach at High Point University. She played professionally with the San Antonio Stars of the Women's National Basketball Association.

Laura Harper
High Point Panthers
PositionAssistant coach
LeagueBig South Conference
Personal information
Born (1986-04-11) April 11, 1986
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight186 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolCheltenham (Wyncote, Pennsylvania)
CollegeMaryland (2004–2008)
WNBA draft2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Monarchs
Playing career2008–2013
PositionPower forward / Center
Number15
Coaching career2013–present
Career history
As player:
2008–2009Sacramento Monarchs
2008Beşiktaş
2009–2010Umana Reyer Venezia
2011–2012Antakya
2012–2013Dynamo Moscow
As coach:
2013–2014Loyola (Maryland) (assistant)
2014–presentHigh Point (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
  • NCAA champion (2006)
Medals
Women's Basketball
U18 and U19
2004 U18 MayaguezTeam Competition

High school

Harper played for Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, where she was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored nine points.[1]

College

Laura Harper played college basketball at the University of Maryland and was part of the 2006 National Championship team. She tore her Achilles tendon during her freshman year, but battled back to become the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA tournament.[2] As she is a beloved Terrapin, Harper's No. 15 jersey hangs in the rafters at Comcast Center.

College statistics

Source:[3]

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
2004–05 Maryland 9 119 57.0 - 58.3 9.8 1.3 0.9 1.7 13.2
2005–06 Maryland 36 413 53.5 - 68.3 7.2 0.7 0.9 1.9 11.5
2006–07 Maryland 34 353 55.1 - 69.7 6.3 1.1 0.8 1.9 10.4
2007–08 Maryland 37 522 60.3 50.0 68.9 8.5 1.4 1.5 1.3 14.1
Career Maryland 116 1407 56.5 50.0 68.2 7.5 1.1 1.0 1.7 12.1

Professional playing career

Harper was selected in the first round of the 2008 WNBA draft, tenth overall, by the Sacramento Monarchs. As a rookie, she played 34 games and made one start. She averaged 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.[4]

After the WNBA season ended, she signed with Beşiktaş of the Turkish Women's Basketball League.[4] She averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds in 10 games played with Beşiktaş.[5]

In 2009, Harper returned to the Monarchs and started 11 of 33 games played. She averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds.[4] After the WNBA season, she signed with Umana Reyer Venezia of the Italian Serie A1.[6] In 16 games with Venezia, she averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.[7]

Due to injuries, Harper sat out the 2010 and 2011 WNBA seasons.[4] She returned to action later in 2011, again in Europe, with Antakya of the Turkish league, averaging 13.3 points and 9.9 rebounds.[8]

Harper played her final season of professional basketball in 2012–13 with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Women's Basketball Premier League. In 12 games, she averaged 7.3 points and 8.3 rebounds.[9]

International career

Harper was a member of the USA Women's U18 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The event was held in August 2004, when the USA team defeated Puerto Rico to win the championship. Harper started all five games and helped the team win the gold medal, scoring 12.8 points per game.[10]

Coaching career

In May 2013, Harper became an assistant coach at American University.[11] She left American to become an assistant at Loyola University Maryland in September 2013.[12]

Harper moved to North Carolina to become an assistant coach at High Point University in June 2014.[13]

Personal life

Harper's father Haviland Harper, Jr. played basketball at George Washington and is currently a high school basketball coach and math teacher. Haviland Harper's great-uncle, David "Big Dave" DeJernett, was a pioneering Afro-American basketball star at both pro and amateur levels in the Midwest.

Notes
  1. "WBCA High School All-America Game Box Scores". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Women's Basketball Player stats". NCAA. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  4. "Laura Harper: Background". WNBA. Archived from the original on November 21, 2011.
  5. "Laura Ashley Harper: Season 2008/2009". FIBA. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  6. "Umana, il nuovo centro è Laura Harper". La Nuova di Venezia. July 11, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  7. "Reyer Venezia Mistre Stats 2009-10". eurobasket.com. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  8. "Laura Harper". High Point University Athletics. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  9. "Dynamo Moscow Stats 2012-13". eurobasket.com. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  10. "Fifth Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team -- 2004". USA Basketball. February 20, 2014. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  11. "Laura Harper". American University. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  12. "Former WNBA and Maryland Standout Harper Joins WBB Staff". Loyola University Maryland. September 3, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  13. "Laura Harper joins women's basketball staff". High Point University. June 19, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2016.

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