April 17, 2004

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue basketball standouts Shereka Wright and Erika Valek will continue to be teammates on the professional level. Both were picked by the reigning WNBA champion Detroit Shock in the draft Saturday, then were traded to the Phoenix Mercury.

Wright, a 5-10 forward, was selected 13th, the last pick of the first round. Valek, a 5-foot-6 point guard, was chosen with the 23rd pick, the 10th of the second of three rounds.

Wright and Valek, both Texas natives, began their Purdue careers in fall 2000, and ended up collecting a Big Ten-record 113 victories over the last four years. Both are thrilled about continuing their playing careers as professionals.

"I am very excited about continuing my playing career in the WNBA," Wright said. "It feels very rewarding to have years of hard work pay off with a chance to make a career out of playing the game that I love."

Valek said: "I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to play in the WNBA. My parents were both great athletes and never had the chance to do something like this, so I'll always be thinking of them and all the other people who aren't as fortunate as me as I pursue this dream. I am really looking forward to getting started."

Purdue head coach Kristy Curry, who recruited both Wright and Valek to West Lafayette, said she was happy to see her players' names come up on the draft board.

"I couldn't be more proud of and happy for Shereka and Erika," Curry said. "They have worked so hard for this dream, and it is becoming a reality. We wish them all the best and look forward to following them on the next level."

Not surprisingly, the Mercury, which owned the first pick in the draft after winning the draft lottery, took Connecticut's Diana Taurasi with the first pick. Duke's Alana Beard went second to Washington, and Nicole Powell went third to Charlotte. Lindsay Whalen of Minnesota went fourth to Connecticut, where she will join former Boilermaker All-American Katie Douglas. New York took Arkansas' Shameka Christon with the fifth pick.

Also involved in the trade between Phoenix and Detroit were University of Houston's Chandi Jones, the Mercury's pick at No. 8, and Detroit veteran Sheila Lambert.

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