WNBA's Houston Comets Make Tulsa's Allison Curtin a First Round Draft Pick

Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa senior Allison Curtin was selected in the first round of the 2003 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft by the Houston Comets. Curtin was the 12th

Friday, April 25th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa senior Allison Curtin was selected in the first round of the 2003 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft by the Houston Comets. Curtin was the 12th pick overall in the draft.

"This is a dream come true for me," Curtin said. "I'm very excited. It was such a great feeling to be sitting with my coaches and teammates when they called my name. Houston is a very good team with solid veterans. I could not ask for a better situation. It's always been one of my goals to be drafted in the first round of the WNBA and I feel very fortunate to be selected by such a great team and organization."

A 5'11" guard from Taylorville, Illinois, Curtin was a 2002-03 honorable mention All-America selection. She averaged 23.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game and also recorded 10 double doubles. Curtin was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2003 All-Star Challenge, a team composed of the top-20 seniors in the country, and was also selected to the WBCA/Kodak All-District VII squad and to the 2003 Western Athletic Conference first team. She capped off her collegiate career as a finalist for the first annual Creamland Dairy Men's and Women's Collegiate Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year Award.

"I am unbelievably excited for Allison and her family," Tulsa Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said. "She has prepared all of her life for this opportunity. She deserves all the credit. I am happy for The University of Tulsa with the fact it will have representation in the WNBA. We are very thankful for the Houston organization for believing in her. We've known all along that she is an All-American and a WBNA caliber player."

Curtin led all WAC players in points (692), scoring, free throws made (174), free throws attempted (207), field goals made (231), field goals attempted (516), free throw percentage (.857) and steals. Curtin was also honored as the WAC Player of the Week three times in 2002-03 and ranked among the nation's top-10 scorers and top-25 steals leaders the entire season.

In her first and only campaign in a Tulsa uniform, Curtin rewrote the school record books by setting or tying a total of 10 single season records (games played, games started, points, scoring average, field goals, field goal attempted, free throws, free throws attempted, assists and steals). She also re-established five single-game records (points, field goals, field goals attempted, steals and assists) and reached double figures in scoring in all 30 games.

During her storybook career, Curtin played in 128 career games and scored in all but one contest. She completed her career with a 113-game scoring streak and reached double figures in scoring in 107 contests. Curtin registered 30+ points in nine career games and boasts 51 contests with 20+ points. Her career averages included 17.3 (2,220) points, 5.7 (732) rebounds, 3.5 (449) assists and 2.7 (351) steals per game. Curtin, who transferred to Tulsa from the University of Illinois prior to the 2001-02 campaign, was a two time all-Big Ten First-Team performer for Illinois and was named to the all-Big Ten Newcomer Team in 1998-99.

Houston completed the 2002 season with a 24-8 overall record and qualified for the postseason for the sixth straight season. The Comets won four straight world championships from 1997-2000. Curtin becomes the first women's basketball player from The University of Tulsa to be drafted by a WNBA team.