Shawnee Pickney

For most collegiate women's basketball players, the season is over and time spent on the court has dwindled. For Shawnee Pickney, things are just getting started.

The 6'0" senior and urban studies major is one of only 100 women invited to attend the WNBA's pre-draft camp this week at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. At the camp, Pickney will show her skills to team coaches and general managers in the hope of landing one of the 64 available spots to be selected in the WNBA's April 20 draft.

"It's still somewhat unbelievable to be living it," says Pickney. "It'll probably hit me when I'm packing to go."

Despite the surprise and honor of being selected to try out, Pickney herself played the key role in obtaining the opportunity. She personally brought video tapes of her play and career statistics to the WNBA's New York office for consideration. She met by a representative who was encouraging but honest, noting that many players vie for the chance to display their talent in front of WNBA scouts. But Pickney is not easily deterred; she believes her game can be effective on the highest level.

"I'm going to go in and do the things I know how to do, and do them well," says Pickney, who notes that every team needs a player with strong fundamentals and a full-court game. "My bread and butter is the fire and intensity I play with on defense. That's my strongest attribute."

Pickney has spent some additional time in the gym lately to get ready for the tryout, but off the court, she has especially benefited from well wishers. "The outpouring of support has been huge," says Pickney who adds that friends and administrators on campus have helped keep her focused. "They remind me to stay confident and to believe that I deserve to be there."

Learning of her selection to the camp in an 8 a.m. phone call, Pickney hesitated a minute before calling her family back home in Los Angeles, where it was three hours earlier, but decided the news was just too important. "They could tell by the sound of my voice that it was something good," says Pickney. "My mother was having a hallelujah-fest on the phone."

Pickney finished her Columbia career this winter with 1,180 points, which puts her at fourth on the all-time scoring list. She pulled down 783 rebounds in her four years, good for second all-time, and led the Lions in almost every statistical category during the 2000-01 season. Her 15.7 points per game this year was third-best in the Ivy League; 5.93 defensive rebounds per game were good for second-best, and she led the League in steals with 2.33 per game. She had five double-doubles for the Light Blue this season, recorded 22 blocks and scored a career-high 27 points against Dartmouth in the season's final game.

The first round of the four round draft will be televised live April 20 on ESPN2 at 11:30 a.m. Complete draft coverage can also be found at WNBA.com.