Jennifer George spent Monday night with a group of teammates at the home of Gators assistant coach Murriel Page, waiting to find out if she would be selected in the 2013 WNBA Draft.
Hours before, in a press conference Monday morning, coach Amanda Butler said several organizations had recently contacted her expressing interest in drafting the 6-foot forward.
One decided to follow through.
The Indiana Fever chose George with with the No. 33 overall pick — its third and final selection of the 2013 WNBA Draft.
“I’m so excited,” George said. “[Butler] got a text from someone in the organization saying they were going to draft me, so I got a moment to soak everything in, but I don’t think it has. I just can’t believe it. It is really a dream come true.”
George ended her career at Florida with 135 games played — the most in program history. She finished No. 17 on the all-time scoring list with 1,257 points and finished among the top 10 in rebounds, blocks and double-doubles.
But her draft prospects appeared to take a severe hit this season.
George first suffered a dislocated right shoulder against LSU on Jan. 6. She aggravated the injury a week later against Tennessee and struggled to regain the form she showed when she was named a first team All-Southeastern Conference selection as a junior.
Despite repeated setbacks, she was named to the All-SEC second team and All-SEC Defensive Team by the league’s coaches last season.
“Everybody who has ever seen her play can appreciate Jennifer’s ability on the court, not just this January and February when she was banged up, but her entire career and what she can add to an organization,” Butler said.
Indiana, the defending WNBA champion, took George with the ninth pick of the third round. Team President and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf told the Fever website that Florida’s only senior offers a much-needed interior presence.
“She’s a big-time rebounder,” Krauskopf said. “She’s a player that is very active. She can guard threes, can play the four. She’s very athletic and should add depth for the camp.”
Being selected in the WNBA draft seemed highly unlikely for George after her first two seasons at Florida. She logged fewer than 20 minutes per game as a freshman and sophomore while failing to develop more than a minimal role.
But as a junior, she led the Gators with 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game en route to the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons. She averaged 11 points and 7.5 rebounds in 2012-13.
“I was thrilled when I heard the news,” said Kristy Colligan, who coached George at Orlando Bishop Moore. “It gave me goosebumps, and I was grinning ear to ear when I saw her name next to Indiana Fever. I couldn’t be more excited and proud of Jennifer’s success.”
George is the 17th Gator drafted to the U.S. professional women’s basketball league and first since the Phoenix Mercury selected Sha Brooks in the third round of the 2009 WNBA Draft.
“I know I have a lot of work in front of me to make the team, but this moment is one that I’m going to enjoy for a very long time,” George said. “It’s a dream. Being drafted in the WNBA is a dream.”
Contact Phil Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org.
Forward Jennifer George dives for the ball during Florida’s 69-58 loss to Arkansas on Feb. 28 in the O’Connell Center. The Indiana Fever selected George with the 33rd overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft on Monday.
