St. John's University Athletics
Grant and Handford Gear Up for WNBA Draft
4/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
QUEENS, N.Y. - Just over a month removed from leading St. John's Women's Basketball to its highest point in nearly three decades, seniors Danaejah Grant and Aliyyah Handford are actively gearing up for the next phase of their basketball careers, as the senior duo prepares for the 2016 WNBA Draft on Thursday night.
After helping the program claim its first conference title since 1988, the Garden State natives and WNBA hopefuls wrapped up two of the finest careers in the storied history of Red Storm Women's Basketball.
Handford will graduate this spring as the leading scorer in program history, becoming the first Johnny to surpass the 2,000-point mark for her career during the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. During that three-day stretch in Chicago, Handford cemented her legacy in Queens even more prominently, averaging 18.7 points per game to garner Most Outstanding Player honors.
In addition to her scoring prowess, Handford also ranks second on the St. John's all-time steals list and eighth on the school's career rebounding ledger. She was a three-time First Team All-BIG EAST honoree-- the first player in program history to garner the accolade on three occasions-- and in 2016 became the first member of the Red Storm to take home BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors.
"The thought of being selected to play in the best women's basketball league in the world is truly amazing," said Handford. "My coaches and teammates have pushed me to be the best I can be over the last four years and now I feel like I'm ready for the next step."
Since transferring to St. John's from Clemson during her freshman year, Grant proved to be one of the most effective and efficient guards in the nation for Head Coach Joe Tartamella. After sitting out a year due to NCAA regulations, Grant suited up in a Red Storm uniform for the first time midway through her sophomore season and immediately helped the Johnnies clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight year. As a junior, Grant finished fourth in the conference in scoring (17.1 ppg) and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team. A year later, Grant shot 50 percent from the floor and the league in scoring (19.6 ppg) before finding a place on the All-BIG EAST First Team.
In just 92 career games for the Red Storm, Grant amassed a whopping 1,498 points, good enough for ninth on the program's all-time scoring list despite her relatively brief tenure.
"This is why I have worked so hard my whole basketball career," said Grant when reflecting up on the possibility of joining a WNBA roster. "The chance to be a professional playing the game that I love is amazing. Not many people can say that they have this opportunity, but for me, it's a dream come true."
Handford and Grant are looking to increase the number of all-time Red Storm WNBA Draft Picks to four, as Nadirah McKenith and Shenneika Smith were both selected in the 2013 Draft. McKenith was taken with the 17th pick by the Washington Mystics, while her teammate was selected eight picks later by the New York Liberty.
The 2016 WNBA Draft will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The first round will be broadcast on ESPN2 and is set to begin at 7 p.m. ESPNU will carry the second and third rounds of the draft beginning at 8 p.m.
