Early life
Darling is the daughter of Patricia Smith and Donald Darling. She has three brothers Donald, Ronald and Dewand Darling and one sister, Alicia Smith. She is also the mother of triplets two boys Ja-Juan, Jalen and a girl Nevaeh, born on April 13, 2002. [1]
Darling attended Brookhaven High School (Columbus, Ohio) where she was named a High School All-American by the WBCA. [2] She participated in the WBCA High School All-America Game in 1995, scoring six points. [3]
Over the course of her college career at Penn State, Darling averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.49 steals in 126 games and is the only player in Penn State history to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 600 assists for her career. Darling is also the only player in Penn State history to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors. A four-year starting point guard, she helped lead the Penn State Lady Lions to their first and only Final Four appearance in 2000. Darling earned her degree in education from Penn State in December 2001. She received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association as the best senior player under 5 ft 8 in (1.7 m) in 2000. [4]
Penn State statistics
Source [5] [6] [7]
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|
| 1996-97 | Penn State | 27 | 210 | 30.2% | 0.0% | 70.9% | 4.4 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 7.8 |
| 1997-98 | Penn State | 34 | 343 | 39.6% | 26.7% | 64.9% | 5.2 | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 10.1 |
| 1998-99 | Penn State | 30 | 373 | 39.1% | 14.3% | 76.4% | 5.8 | 7.5 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 12.4 |
| 1999-00 | Penn State | 35 | 368 | 39.6% | 28.8% | 77.5% | 5.7 | 7.8 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 10.5 |
| Career | 126 | 1294 | 37.7% | 25.6% | 72.6% | 5.3 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 10.3 |
WNBA career
Cleveland Rockers
On April 25, 2000, Darling was drafted by the Cleveland Rockers in the second round (No. 17 overall) of the 2000 WNBA draft. In her rookie season, Darling played in all 32 regular season games recording 4.8 points, 2.0 assists and 1.15 steals. For the playoffs she averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in six Rockers playoff games. [9] During the 2001 WNBA season, Darling was one of only two Rockers players to start all 32 regular season games helping the Rockers earn the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Darling finished the season averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals. In the three games against Charlotte during the playoffs, Darling averaged 6.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals. [9]
During the 2002 WNBA season, Darling did not play due to pregnancy. [1]
During the 2003 WNBA season, Darling started all 34 games for Cleveland finishing the season with 128 assists, the second-highest single-season total in Rockers history and averaging 4.1 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes. [9]
Minnesota Lynx
After the 2003 WNBA season, the Cleveland Rockers decided to fold, a dispersal draft was held. The Minnesota Lynx selected Darling with their seventh pick. [1]
During the 2004 WNBA season, Darling played in 33 games and started in the last 22 games of the regular season for the Lynx averaging 4.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes. Helping Minnesota tie the Seattle Storm for 3rd seed in the Western Conference. [9]
Charlotte Sting
After only one season with the Lynx, Darling was traded by Minnesota along with the Lynx's second-round pick (24th overall) in the 2005 WNBA Draft to the Charlotte Sting in exchange for the Sting's second-round pick (17th overall) in the 2005 WNBA Draft. [1]
During the 2005 WNBA season, Darling played 31 games for Charlotte, starting the last 11, as a starter Darling, averaged 7.0 points and 4.5 assists in 31.0 minutes, compared to 1.5 points and 1.3 assists in 17.6 minutes off the bench. Missed only one game due to a left hamstring strain. [1] [9]
During the 2006 WNBA season, Darling started all 29 regular season games, averaging 4.7 points, 3.0 assists and 1.13 steals per game. [9] (At 5-foot-6, Darling was the Sting's shortest player -- and three inches taller than her new coach, Charlotte basketball icon Muggsy Bogues, who was 5'3".)
San Antonio Silver Stars
After a disappointing last-place performance and poor attendance for the Sting, the team folded and a dispersal draft was held. The San Antonio Silver Stars selected Darling with their fourth pick. Reuniting Darling with Coach Dan Hughes who drafted her from Penn state for the Cleveland Rockers in 2000. [1]
During the 2007 WNBA season, Darling started 19 regular-season games and appeared in 33 recordings 103 assists and 45 steals. On August 7 Darling earned her 1,000th career point in a game against the Washington Mystics. [1]
Kelly Miller is an American former professional basketball player. She is the identical twin sister of fellow basketball player Coco Miller.
Crystal LaTresa Robinson is a former American basketball coach and player. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma, and first garnered national recognition during her collegiate career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Professionally, Robinson played for the Colorado Xplosion of the ABL before playing in the WNBA for the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics.
Shanna Annette Zolman is an American professional basketball player, most recently for the Tulsa Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She attended college at the University of Tennessee and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Broadcasting. Following her collegiate career, she was selected 16th overall in the 2006 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars.
Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times. She led the Lynx to win the WNBA Championship in 2015 and 2017, and she was named the MVP of the WNBA Finals both times. In 2020, Fowles overtook Rebekkah Brunson to become the WNBA's career leader in rebounds.
Maya April Moore is an American social justice advocate and former professional basketball player. Naming her their inaugural Performer of the Year in 2017, Sports Illustrated called Moore the "greatest winner in the history of women's basketball". Moore was selected for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She serves as the head coach of the Stockton Kings. Throughout her playing career, Harding played for the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and has played overseas in Turkey and Russia. She was previously a scout and a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas and also holds a Belarusian passport.
Anitra Necole "Nikki" Blue is an American former professional basketball player.
Merlakia Jones is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for eight seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida, and then played professionally for the Cleveland Rockers and Detroit Shock of the WNBA.
Sandora Lavett Irvin is an American professional basketball player for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was waived by the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2009.
Erin Buescher Perperoglou is a former American professional basketball player. She played most recently as a forward for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.
Abigail Nellie Waner is an American basketball player who, after a collegiate career at Duke, was drafted by the New York Liberty in the 2009 WNBA draft, and was waived on May 29, 2009. In 2008, she became a college basketball analyst for ESPN and was named assistant coach of the University of Denver's women's basketball team in 2012. Born in Englewood, Colorado, Waner is married to fellow Colorado-born basketball player Jimmy Bartolotta.
Skylar Kierra Diggins-Smith is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. In high school, she was the National Gatorade Player of the Year and the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. She played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and led the team to three consecutive Final Fours and two consecutive NCAA championship appearances. She finished her Notre Dame career ranked first in points and steals, second in assists, and as a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation.
Monica Ashante Wright Rogers is an American basketball coach and former player. She played college basketball for Virginia and was selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2010 WNBA draft. Outside of the WNBA, she played professionally in Poland, Turkey, Australia, South Korea and Iceland. She is currently the assistant general manager for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.
Jessica Elizabeth Adair is an American professional basketball player who played most recently for the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. Adair is currently playing for the Townsville Fire in the Australian WNBL.
Odyssey Celeste Sims is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. An AP and WBCA All-American, Sims was born in Irving, Texas and graduated from MacArthur High School.
Moriah Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted second overall by the San Antonio Stars in the 2016 WNBA draft. Jefferson played point guard for UConn women's basketball team, where she won four consecutive national championships. She finished her UConn career ranked first in assists, second in steals, and as a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation. On May 16, 2019, Jefferson was traded to the Dallas Wings.
Alexandria Marie Bentley is an American professional basketball player. She played college basketball at Pennsylvania State University. She represents the Belarus national team internationally.
Andrea Congreaves is a British former basketball player born in Epsom, Surrey who played professionally for the women's England's national team while also playing in the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Britain throughout her career. She is the former head coach of the Rhondda Rebels of the English Women's Basketball League, and the current head coach of the Mansfield Giants of the English Basketball League as well as the women's team of the University of Nottingham.
Natasha Howard is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Fenerbahçe of the Women's Basketball Super League EuroLeague Women. Howard was the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She was drafted in 2014 by the Indiana Fever. Born in Toledo, Ohio, she played college basketball for Florida State University, where she finished sixth in the NCAA for field goal percentage.
Kristina J. Nicholson is a retired American professional basketball player. She was known for her quickness and athleticism and being relatively short. She played one season in the WNBA for the Cleveland Rockers in the 1997 WNBA season. At age 38, she was inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame.
