For the first time in school history, the Oregon women’s basketball team will have representatives in professional basketball.
Former Ducks Jenny Mowe and Angelina Wolvert were drafted Friday morning into the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Mowe will remain local after the Portland Fire made her the 20th overall choice, in the second round. The Powers, Ore., native was the highest-picked Pacific-10 Conference player.
The 6-foot-5 center led the Pac-10 in field goal percentage during the 2000-01 season, and finished second all-time at Oregon for blocked shots and field goal percentage.
Mowe, the sixth center drafted overall Friday, joins a 10-22 Portland team that finished seventh in the Western Conference last season and failed to make the playoffs. Mowe should make an immediate impact for the Fire, who have only one center on the roster and only two players over 6-foot-4.
Wolvert, Oregon’s leading scorer and rebounder the season, was picked 43rd overall in the third round by the Cleveland Rockers.
The Camas, Wash., native joins rookies Penny Taylor from Australia and Jaynette Saunders of Texas A&M University for Cleveland. The Rockers were the second-best team in the Eastern Conference with a 17-15 record.