AUBURN HILLS, Mich.-- Eastern Michigan University women's basketball standout Ryan Coleman (Detroit, Mich.-Comm. & Media Arts) did not hear her name called during Wednesday's WNBA Draft, but she signed a free-agent training camp deal with the Detroit Shock shortly after the draft ended. With the contract Coleman becomes the first Eagle in the 10-year history of the professional league to sign a contract.
Coleman led the Eagles in points (16.9 per game), field goals made (165), three-pointers made (32), assists (4.1 per game), steals (2.1 per game), blocks (0.6 per game) and minutes (36.9 per game) this past season as the Eagles won the Mid-American Conference West Division title. The Detroit native finished among the conference leaders in scoring, field-goal percentage, rebounds, blocks, steals and assists.
The two-time Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American was a starter in 25 games this season and in 115 since coming to Eastern Michigan in 2002. Coleman scored in double figures in every game this season, including six 20-point performances. The 2005-06 preseason All-MAC honoree has rewritten the EMU and Mid-American Conference record books in her four years at EMU. She became just the 12th player in school history to score 1,000 points last season. She ranks in the top 20 in the history of the MAC in scoring and became just the second player in MAC history to record 1,500 points, 600 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals in a career.
Last season Coleman joined Stephanie Smiley (1998-2001) as the only players in school history to garner Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honors. The Detroit native has been named MAC Player of the Week nine times, the third-most in conference history. She also is the second player in school history to record a triple-double in a single game, accomplishing that during her junior season.
The Shock, who posted a 16-18 record in 2005, open training camp May 1 and the preseason schedule begins May 7 with a road contest versus defending WNBA Champion Connecitcut.