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Tonight, the Indiana Fever took former Ohio State forward Stephanie Mavunga in the second round of the 2018 WNBA Draft. Mavunga joins her Buckeye teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who was the first-round pick for Indiana earlier in the night. (These two together at the next level will be a game-changer for the Fever.)
The 6’3 native of Brownsburg, Ind. began her career as a member of the North Carolina Tar Heels, before transferring to OSU for her final two seasons. In all, Mavunga earned three all-conference honors— one in the ACC and two in the Big Ten—, including a first-team selection in both leagues.
In her final collegiate season, Mavunga finished third in the B1G in rebounds with 11 per game. Coupled with her 16.6 points per contest, Mavunga averaged a double-double for each of her two seasons as a Buckeye.
Her 19 double-doubles were second most in the Big Ten, and ninth-best nationally in 2017-18.
Why fans should be excited about Stephanie Mavunga
An academic All-Big Ten selection, Mavunga brings a toughness to the court that should be valuable on both ends of the floor in the WNBA. In addition to her impressive block total, Mavunga also finished third in the conference with 2.5 blocks per game last year.
As if her inside dominance wasn’t enough, Mavunga is also able to create her own shots, capitalizing on her size and athleticism. Her prowess on the block led her to a 63.2 shooting percentage during her senior campaign, the eighth-highest mark in the country.
Congratulations to Mavunga, and count everyone at LGHL new Fever fans.