ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2013 The Atlanta Dream announced Thursday that the team has re-signed second-year forward/center Aneika Henry and signed veteran forward LeCoe Willingham. Per team policy, contract terms were not disclosed.
Henry, who went undrafted out of Florida and was signed to a training camp contract by the Dream prior to last season, played in all 34 games during her rookie WNBA season in 2012, including 14 starts. She led the team and ranked ninth in the league in blocked shots with 30, and ranked 12th among all rookies in scoring (4.8 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (4.1 per game). Henry shot 46.8 percent from the field, and 76.2 percent from the free throw line last season.
Aneika has shown a lot of improvement, and is developing her game even more right now overseas, putting up good numbers against very strong post players, said Dream head coach and general manager Fred Williams. She has proven to be a very valuable player for us with her ability to block shots, rebound and run the floor, and were excited to see even more growth from this season.
Henry set a Dream franchise record for most field goals made in a game without a miss June 29 at Tulsa, hitting all seven of her field goal attempts for 14 points. She also set a Dream record for minutes played in a game when she played 48:43 of a possible 50 minutes during a double-overtime game at Phoenix July 7.
Willingham is a nine-year veteran who has played in 266 games during her career, including 77 starts. The six-foot forward spent the 2012 season with Chicago, averaging 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per contest while playing in 33 games.
LeCoe brings a championship pedigree to our squad, said Williams. Her size, rebounding and ability to shoot the three-pointer is going to help us a great deal. She plays with a lot of energy, and her ability to run the floor will help us generate some offense.
A native of Augusta, Ga., Willingham was a three-time All-SEC selection out of Auburn, but went undrafted before being signed by Connecticut, where she spent the first four years of her career (2004-07). She then spent two seasons in Phoenix (2008-09) and two in Seattle (2010-11), before joining the Sky last year.
Willinghams best seasons came in Phoenix, where she averaged 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2008, and 10.0 points and 4.2 boards in 2009. She set a franchise record for field goal percentage in 2008, leading the league by making 57.0 percent of her shots. She helped the Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2009, and also was a key reserve for the 2010 Seattle team that beat Atlanta in the WNBA Finals.
The two-time Eastern Conference Champion Atlanta Dream will compete in its sixth season in the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 2013. The Dream qualified for the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, including back-to-back conference titles in 2010 and 2011. Season tickets for the 2013 season are now available and can be purchased by calling (877) 977-7729 or visiting www.AtlantaDream.net.