Katie Benzan

Last updated
Katie Benzan
Katie Benzan (cropped).jpg
Personal information
Born (1998-05-16) May 16, 1998 (age 26)
Wellesley, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Career information
High school Noble and Greenough School
(Dedham, Massachusetts)
College
WNBA draft 2022: undrafted
Playing career2022–present
Position Guard
Career history
2022 Washington Mystics
Career highlights and awards
  • 2x AP Honorable Mention All-American (2021, 2022)
  • All-Big Ten 2nd Team (2021, 2022)
  • Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2022)
  • 3x All-Ivy League 1st Team (2017–2019)

Katie Benzan (born May 16, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for the Washington Mystics in 2022. She played college basketball at Maryland and Harvard.

Contents

College career

Harvard

During, Benzan's time at Harvard, she proved to be one of the best in the Ivy League right from the start. She was named to the All-Ivy League First Team all three years that she was a Crimson. She was voted onto the First Team unanimously during her 2nd year. [1] [2] [3] In her junior season, she scored her career high in points against Quinnipiac with 27. [4] Prior to her last season at Harvard, Benzan had decided to forgo her senior year and sit out and she left the Harvard team. [5]

On October 28, 2019, Benzan decided that she would use her graduate season at the University of Texas. [6] By the spring of 2020, Benzan decided to change her decision and shifted her next school to being Maryland. [7] [8]

Maryland

During her first season at Maryland, Benzan led the entire nation in 3-point field-goal percentage at 50%. [9] She averaged 12.7 points, and broke the Maryland program record for 3-pointers made in a single game against Iowa. [10] At the end of her first season with the Terrapins, Benzan was named to All-Big Ten Second Team and was named an AP Honorable Mention All-American. [11]

Benzan decided to return to College Park for her COVID-Extra year. [12] She continued to be a 3-point specialist, as she broke the Maryland career three-point percentage record with a 47.4%. [13] While the Terrapins struggled on the court for their standards, Benzan was once against named to the All-Big Ten Second Team from the media, while the coaches awarded her an Honorable Mention. [14]

College statistics

[15]

YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2016–17 Harvard 30403.399.394.9413.34.21.10.213.4
2017–18 Harvard 29391.431.450.8303.23.81.50.113.5
2018–19 Harvard 30429.387.356.8573.24.21.60.214.3
2020–21 Maryland 29367.492.500.9382.63.31.60.112.7
2021–22 Maryland 29296.441.445.9582.83.81.70.110.2
Career1471886.424.421.9003.03.91.50.112.8

Professional career

Washington Mystics

Benzan went undrafted in the 2022 WNBA draft, but signed a training camp contract with the Washington Mystics. [16] Benzan made the Opening Day roster, but was cut on May 6, 2022, when the team signed Kennedy Burke. [17] She signed a hardship contract with the Mystics on May 8, 2022. Benzan made WNBA history when she checked into her first ever game on May 8, as she became the first Dominican player to play in the league. [18] Benzan was released from her hardship contract with the Mystics on May 16, 2022.

Career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2022 Washington 309.0.556.714.7500.70.30.00.30.76.0
Career1 year, 1 team309.0.556.714.7500.70.30.00.30.76.0

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References

  1. ↑ "Women's Basketball Postseason Awards, All-Ivy Announced". ivyleague.com. Ivy League. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Women's Basketball All-Ivy, Postseason Awards Announced". ivyleague.com. Ivy League. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Women's Basketball All-Ivy, Postseason Awards Announced". ivyleague.com. Ivy League. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Women's Basketball Falls to Quinnipiac in Double-Overtime Thriller, 72-67". gocrimson.com. Harvard Athletics. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ Cohen, Lev. "Katie Benzan, Women's Basketball's Leading Scorer, Will Not Return to Team for Senior Season". thecrimson.com. The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  6. ↑ Davis, Danny. "Texas adds a graduate transfer from Harvard to its 2020 recruiting class". hookem.com. American-Statesman. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  7. ↑ Browne, Rob. "Katie Benzan changes course, decides to play at Maryland for 2020-21". ivyhoopsonline.com. Ivy Hoops. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  8. ↑ Rosof, Ben. "Maryland adds two big-name transfers in Benzan, Bibby". highposthoops.com. High Post Hoops. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Autumn. "The best 3-point shooters in women's basketball, by the numbers". NCAA.com. NCAA. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Katie Benzan breaks 3-point record, Angel Reese returns as." baltimoresun.com. Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  11. ↑ Lotano, Joseph. "Angel Reese highlights AP All-American selections for Maryland women's basketball". dbknews.com. The Diamondback. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  12. ↑ Copeland, Kareem. "Maryland women's basketball's title hopes start with Ashley Owusu and Diamond Miller". washingtonpost.com. Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Katie Benzan". umterps.com. Maryland Athletics. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  14. ↑ "2021-22 All Big-Ten Women's Basketball Teams & Honors" (PDF). Big Ten Conference . Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 1, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Katie Benzan Stats". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  16. ↑ Dickson, Ben. "Washington Mystics sign former Maryland women's basketball guard Katie Benzan to training camp deal". testudotimes.com. SB Nation. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Mystics Make Roster Moves". oursportscentral.com. Our Sports Central. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  18. ↑ "SPORTS Katie Benzan, the first Dominican to play in the WNBA". rundownbulletin.com. Run Down Bulletin. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
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