St. John's University Athletics
Danaejah Grant Inks Pro Contract with Turkish Team
1/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
QUEENS, N.Y. - Last week, former St. John's women's basketball standout Danaejah Grant signed a contract to continue her professional career with Edremit Belediyesi Gurespor of the Turkey Basketball League.
Edremit Belediyesi Gurespor currently sits in second place in the Turkey Basketball League with an overall record of 16-3 this season. Grant is expected to be in uniform for the team's next game on Jan. 21.
Prior to signing with Edremit Belediyesi Gurespor, Grant made appearances this summer in games in Europe with the Flying Foxes SVS Post of the Austrian Women's Basketball League and A.S. Ramat Hasharon Electra of the Israeli Female Basketball Premier League.
"This contract means a new start for me," Grant said. "I am in a league with higher competition now that will be preparing me to try to make it back to the WNBA. This opportunity came about through my agent, William Lovett, who has worked tremendously hard since I signed with him to put me in the best position for my career."
No stranger to the big stage, Grant enjoyed one of the most prolific careers in Red Storm history. Despite playing the equivalent of just three full seasons in a St. John's uniform, Grant scored 1,498 points for Head Coach Joe Tartamella, the ninth-most in program history.
A two-time All-BIG EAST selection, Grant was a part of three postseason runs with the Red Storm, including a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. In her final collegiate game against Auburn in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament last March, Grant scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Johnnies.
The team earned its sixth bid to the NCAA Tournament in the last seven seasons thanks in large part to the efforts of Grant. The Piscataway, N.J., native led the BIG EAST in scoring with 19.6 points per game on the year, the fifth-highest single-season scoring average in St. John's history. In the postesason, Grant proved vital in helping the Red Storm secure its first BIG EAST Championship since 1988. Grant averaged 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists over three days in Chicago, highlighted by a 22-point, 10-rebound effort in the Red Storm's come-from-behind semifinal upset over top-seeded DePaul on the Blue Demons' home court. For her efforts, Grant was named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Following her standout senior campaign, Grant became the fourth-ever Johnny selected in the WNBA Draft when the Washington Mystics selected her 31st overall. Despite playing in both preseason games for the Mystics, Grant was not named to the opening day roster.
