Nationality American Pro career 1997–1998 Weight 62 kg Height 1.70 m | Listed weight 137 lb (62 kg) Role Basketball Player Listed height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) Name Rhonda Blades Positions Basketball positions | |
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NBA draft 1998 / Round: Expansion Draft / Pick: 1st College Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball | ||
022813 BA semifinal interview
Rhonda Blades Brown (born October 29, 1972) is a former professional basketball player. She was the first pick in the 1998 WNBA expansion draft. Blades was a 4-year starting point guard and captain at Vanderbilt University. She was a first round draft pick for the New York Liberty, starting her six-year career in the WNBA and abroad.
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College
Rhonda Blades played basketball for Vanderbilt. During her four seasons (1992–95), she totaled 1,017 points and was named Honorable Mention All-American during her senior year. Blades completed a master's degree in Nursing (MSN) and RN from VUSN in 1996.
WNBA
Rhonda Blades played for the New York Liberty, Detroit Shock, and Washington Mystics. Drafted in the early days of the league, Brown became the first WNBA player to score a 3-point shot. Brown continued playing professionally in Israel and Turkey, winning the Israeli cup in 2000-2001.
Life after Professional Basketball
After basketball, Blades became the head varsity girls' basketball coach at Brentwood Academy, in Brentwood, Tennessee. She has coached a winning program for 15 seasons (307-153 record), including 3 state championships. She also taught Anatomy and Health at Brentwood, for which additional sessions were added to meet demand. Brown is married to Parke Brown (20 years), with two children, Blades (son, age 8) and Millie (daughter, age 12).