By Scott Mammoser
Although Alaska is the largest state in the union in terms of area, it isn’t known as a generator of professional athletes. Chicago on the other hand, has posed to be a stage that has thrust athletes onto a global spotlight for generations.
When the Chicago Sky selected Ruthy Hebard with the eighth overall pick in Friday’s WNBA Draft, it meant the Alaska native and former Oregon Duck will be returning to the city of her birth, before being raised in Fairbanks.
“I was just really excited and hoping and wishing for whatever team that picked me,” Hebard told the WNBA media department after the draft. “I saw that is was Chicago, and I was super excited. I talked to the coach (James Wade), and he’s a great person, and there are some really great players and people on the team.”
The 6-foot-4 forward scored 17.3 points and grabbed 9.6 rebounds for the Ducks this season, on her way to being named a first-team All-American and recipient of the Katrina McClain Award, as the nation’s top power forward. Hebard was the third Oregon player selected in the first round, after Sabrina Ionescu went first overall to the New York Liberty and Satou Sabally second to the Dallas Wings.
Fairbanks is a city of about 30,000, quite a contrast from the Chicago metropolis of 10 million people, with 3 million in the city limits. Hebard stated that the small town will celebrate her drafting, even under social distancing measures.
“There’s something going on,” she said, “and I know it’s like, I’m going to drive through and wave while people are going to be in their cars. Of course, not like a regular parade. I’m going to drive through and wave and see a lot of familiar faces. It’s so nice to have my town backing me and supporting me.”
Prior to Hebard, the best known women’s basketball player to come from Alaska is probably Jessica Moore, who the Charlotte Sting chose 24th overall in 2005 following three national titles at UConn. She went on to play nine WNBA seasons with six different teams. Moore was born in Fairbanks, then moved south to Palmer, where she played for Colony High School.
On an NBA level, Trajan Langdon became the first Alaskan-born player, when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him in 1999. Carlos Boozer and Mario Chalmers would follow.
Following Hebard, the Sky selected UCLA guard Japreece Dean and Florida State forward Kiah Gillespie in the third round.
