Yolanda Griffith

Yolanda Evette Griffith (born March 1, 1970) is an American professional basketball hall of fame player who played in both the ABL and WNBA.

A former WNBA MVP, she is considered one of the greatest rebounders and defensive players in the history of Women's Basketball.

She last played in the WNBA as a member of the Indiana Fever.

In her senior year (1988–1989), she was named First-team Parade All-American, as well as first team All-America in softball.

Griffith was offered a scholarship to play for the women's basketball team at the University of Iowa, but had to cancel it after she gave birth to her daughter, Candace.

Afterward, she attended Palm Beach Junior College in Lake Worth, Florida, where she earned Junior College All-America honors in 1990-91.

She later transferred to Florida Atlantic University, which was then a Division II school, where she graduated in 1993, earning Kodak Division II Player of the Year honors.

While in school, she supported herself and her daughter by working for a car repossession company.

Following her graduating from college, Griffith began her professional basketball playing career in Germany with DJK Wildcats Aschaffenburg, where she played from 1993 to 1997.

In 1997, she finished as the top scorer and rebounder in the Euroleague Women, averaging 24.7 points and 17.1 rebounds per game.

After four seasons in Germany, Griffith joined the American Basketball League (ABL).

She was selected by the Long Beach Stingrays as the number one pick overall in the ABL players draft.

In their only season, Griffith led the Stingrays to the brink of the ABL title, only to lose to the defending champions, the Columbus Quest.

Griffith was named the 1997–1998 ABL Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-ABL first team.

When the Long Beach franchise folded after the end of the 1997–98 season, she was dealt to the expansion Chicago Condors, in her hometown.

She finished second in the ABL's 1998 Most Valuable Player voting to her future 2000 Summer Olympics teammate Natalie Williams.

She played there only briefly, however, as the league folded on December 22, 1998.

The Sacramento Monarchs selected Griffith as the no. 2 overall draft pick in the 1999 WNBA draft.

She is a seven-time WNBA All-Star, and won the WNBA's MVP, Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player awards in 1999.

She played two seasons for Lavezzini Basket Parma in Italy from 2000 to 2002.

She won Gold Medals at the Summer Olympics in both 2000 and 2004.

In 2001, Griffith set the WNBA single-season record for most offensive rebounds with 162.

In 2003–2004 and 2005–2006, she played for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Griffith has twice been a member of the U.S. National Women's Basketball team.

In 2005, the Monarchs won their first WNBA title over the Connecticut Sun, three games to one in a best-of-five series.

Griffith was named Finals MVP.

On April 8, 2008, after nine seasons with the Sacramento Monarchs, Griffith signed with the Seattle Storm.

On February 20, 2009, Griffith signed with the Indiana Fever, after a one-year stint with the Storm.

On June 9, 2009, Griffith tore her achilles tendon in a game against the Seattle Storm, her former team.

In August the same year, she announced her retirement from professional basketball.

In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history.

She is sometimes called by her nicknames: "Yo" and "Yo-Yo".

Since retiring from the professional ranks, Griffith was as assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

She is currently an assistant coach with the Boston College Eagles.

In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the top 15 players in the fifteen-year history of the WNBA.

Griffith was inducted into the 2014 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's class on her first year of eligibility.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Griffith attended George Washington Carver High School in the Chicago area.

In 2016, Griffith was once again honoured by the WNBA in the WNBA Top 20@20 in celebration of the league's 20th season.

As the WNBA and the seasons in Europe did not overlap, Griffith, like many other WNBA players played in Europe during the winter.

Prior to that, Griffith ranked fifth among league leaders in scoring (17.2 ppg), first in rebounding (12.3 rpg), 19th in assists (2.6 apg), second in steals (3.3 spg), and second in blocked shots (1.3 bpg).