April 19, 2002

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue senior Kelly Komara was selected by the Indiana Fever as the 34th pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft held today. She was the second pick of the third round.

A 5-foot-7 guard, Komara averaged 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.0 steals per game for the Boilermakers last season. The first team All-Big Ten selection was named the conference's defensive player of the year and also earned Kodak All-District honors. She helped lead Purdue to its second-consecutive Big Ten regular season crown before a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament.

Last season Komara became Purdue's single season steals record holder with 120 in 30 games.

Komara started 99 games, played in all 134 contests, and was a part of 112 victories over the last four years. For her career, the Big Ten's all-time winningest player averaged 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals.

The Indiana Fever are coached by Nell Fortner, who was the Purdue head coach for the 1996-97 season. While at Purdue, Fortner recruited Komara as a junior at Lake Central High School. Fortner left West Lafayette after one season, and never coached Komara as a collegian. She is now in her second year as head coach of the Fever after guiding the United States to a gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Komara joins former Purdue All-American Stephanie (White) McCarty on the Fever roster. McCarty, who originally was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in 1999, will be in her third season with the Fever organization this summer.

Training camps for all 16 WNBA teams will begin on Monday, April 29. Teams can carry only 11 players at a time once the season starts.

In addition to McCarty, Purdue had five former players on WNBA rosters at the end of the 2001 season. They were: Camille Cooper (New York Liberty), Katie Douglas (Orlando Miracle), Ukari Figgs (Los Angeles Sparks), Stacey Lovelace (Seattle Storm), and Joy Holmes-Harris (Detroit Shock).

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