Colorado University Athletics
Brittany Spears Selected by Phoenix in The 2011 WNBA Draft
She was the seventh pick in the second round and the 19th pick overall.
Colorado's all-time leading scorer with 2,185 points, Spears is the fourth player in team history to be selected in the WNBA draft. Isabelle Fijalkowski (1994-95) was the second overall pick in the inaugural WNBA Elite Draft in 1997 by the Cleveland Rockers. Raegan Scott (1993-97) was also drafted in 1997, by the Utah Starzz in the regular WNBA Draft third round, 21st overall. Mandy Nightingale (1998-02) was selected by the Portland Fire in the third round, 37th overall pick, in 2002.
A 6-foot-1 guard/forward from Pasadena, Calif., Spears is prominent in nearly every career statistical category at Colorado. She started all 127 games of her career, a school record, plus she is CU's all-time leader in scoring, field goal attempts (1,889) and double-figure games (111).
Spears also ranks second in minutes played (4,202), scoring average (17.2 ppg), field-goals made (796) and 3-point attempts (699), third in blocked shots (156) and 3-pointers made (237), fourth in rebounds (997) and double-doubles (31), fifth in games played (127), seventh in steals (237) and rebounding average (7.9 rpg), eighth in free-throws made (356) and ninth in free-throw attempts (445) and steals average (1.9 spg) on CU's career charts. Additionally her 2,185 points rank seventh on the Big 12 Conference's all-time list.
In 2010-11, Spears led Colorado and ranked third in the Big 12 at 19.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. A 2011 All-Big 12 first team pick, she registered double-figures in 32-of-34 games this season and scored 20 or more points 18 times. Spears led the Big 12 in defensive rebounds (6.0 drpg) while also ranking fourth in 3-pointers (2.4 3mpg), fifth in free-throw percentage (.830), 10th in steals (1.8 spg) and 11th in blocked shots (1.2 bpg).
She saved her best for the season's final stretch averaging 24.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals over her final nine games in which CU enjoyed a 6-3 mark. Spears averaged 27.5 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks in four Postseason WNIT games, helping the Buffaloes reach the quarterfinals. She went out with a bang, tying her own career high with 36 points in her final collegiate game.
Under first-year head coach Linda Lappe, Colorado was 18-16 overall, 6-10 in its final Big 12 season. The Buffaloes join the Pacific-12 Conference next season.
Phoenix was 15-19 in 2010, placing second in the Western Conference and advancing to the Western Conference finals. The Mercury are coached by Corey Gaines.