April 9, 2008

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - George Washington senior Kimberly Beck was selected by the Seattle Storm in the third round of the 2008 WNBA Draft held at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., Wednesday.

Beck, who was taken 36th overall by the Storm, is the fourth player in GW women's basketball history chosen in the WNBA Draft and first since 2004. Current GW assistant coach Tajama (Abraham) Ngongba was taken by the Sacramento Monarchs in the inaugural WNBA Draft in 1997 and Cathy Joens and Ugo Oha were selected by the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun, respectively, in the 2004 WNBA Draft.

A 2008 honorable mention All-America selection by both the Associated Press and WBCA, Beck is the fourth player in program history to earn All-America honors in multiple seasons. She was an AP honorable mention selection in 2007.

Beck averaged career-highs of 12.5 points and 6.2 assists during the 2007-08 season to help GW post a 27-7 record and reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. Beck became just the second player in league history and 11th player in NCAA Division I history to lead her conference in assists four consecutive seasons with her school-record 205 assists in 2007-08.

Along with being named 2008 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Beck also was chosen a first team All-Conference performer and All-Defensive Team selection for the third year-in-a-row and was one of nine final nominees for the 2008 Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the nation's top point guard. In 2007, Beck was one of three finalists for the Lieberman Award.

Beck finished her four-year career as GW's all-time leader with 717 assists and ranks 12th in scoring with 1,395 points. She also ranks second all-time at GW in steals (295), third in three-pointers (229), fourth in games played (129) and fifth in free throw percentage (.804). She is the only player in Division I women's basketball history with at least 1,300 points, 700 assists, 300 rebounds, 200 steals and 60 blocks in her career.

Beck, along with classmates Whitney Allen, Sarah-Jo Lawrence and Lora Mitchell, guided the Colonials to 101 victories, four A-10 regular-season titles, four NCAA Tournaments and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances during their careers.

Seattle, which captured the 2004 WNBA Championship, finished 17-17 overall and lost in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs to eventual champion Phoenix Mercury in 2007. The Storm visit the Chicago Sky Wednesday, April 30, in their preseason opener before tipping-off the 2008 regular season against the Sky in Seattle, WA, on Saturday, May 17. The Storm travel to Washington, DC, to face the Washington Mystics Sunday, July 20.