Tamika Whitmore (born June 5, 1977) is a retired American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who played in the WNBA.

College years

Born in

Tupelo, Mississippi Tupelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1860, the population was 37,923 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 7th-most populous ...

, Whitmore played collegiate basketball while attending the

University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

on a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...

. She finished second in career scoring with 2,488 points, first in career field goal percentage at 60.6%, fourth in career rebounds with 952, and second in career blocked shots with 108. She was the

Conference USA Conference USA (CUSA) is a collegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas. Mem ...

player of the year in 1998 and 1999. She led the NCAAW in scoring during her senior year at University of Memphis. Her #44 jersey is set to be retired by the University of Memphis on March 1, 2025. She is only the sixth player in Memphis Women's Basketball history to receive such an honor.

USA Basketball

In 1998, Whitmore was named to the team representing the US at the

William Jones Cup The William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament (), also known as the William Jones Cup, is an international basketball tournament organized by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) held annually since 1977 in sports, 1977 ...

competition in

Taipei, Taiwan , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

. The USA team won all five games, earning the gold medal for the competition. Whitmore was the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 9.8 points per game over the five games.

WNBA career

In the 1999 WNBA draft, she was selected by the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...

, for whom she played for five seasons before signing a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

contract with the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...

. She played for the Sparks during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Afterwards, she signed another free agent contract with the

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...

for the 2006 season. In Game 2 of the Fever's semifinals matchup against the Shock, Tamika Whitmore set a WNBA record for points in a playoff game with 41, breaking

Lisa Leslie Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets (basketball), Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando ...

's mark of 35. On February 19, 2008, Whitmore was traded along with Indiana's 2008 first-round draft pick to the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...

for Katie Douglas.

International career

*2001–2002: Las Palmas (

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

) *2003–2004: Las Palmas (Spain) *2004–2005: Halcón Viajes Perfumerías Avenida Salamanca (Spain) *2005–2006: Mourenx BC ( LFB,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) *2006 (until December): Lotos VBW Clima Gdynia (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

) *2007 (from January): Spartak Moscow Region (

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

) *2007–2008, 2008–2009: Gambrinus Sika Brno (

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

)

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

, - , align="left" ,

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, align="left" , New York , 27, , 1, , 21.2, , 43.5, , 12.5, , 67.9, , 3.6, , 0.7, , 0.6, , 0.2, , 2.1, , 7.9 , - , align="left" ,

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, align="left" , New York , 32, , 16, , 21.5, , 43.1, , 0.0, , 70.2, , 3.3, , 0.6, , 0.5, , 0.5, , 1.7, , 8.7 , - , align="left" ,

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, align="left" , New York , 32, , 29, , 23.5, , 43.2, , 43.2, , 56.9, , 3.0, , 0.6, , 0.5, , 0.3, , 1.0, , 7.1 , - , align="left" ,

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, align="left" , New York , 32, , 32, , 30.5, , 47.7, , 0.0, , 73.3, , 4.4, , 0.7, , 0.8, , 1.3, , 1.5, , 12.7 , - , align="left" ,

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, align="left" , New York , 33, , 29, , 24.9, , 45.5, , 33.3, , 65.8, , 3.7, , 0.8, , 1.1, , 0.7, , 1.7, , 8.2 , - , align="left" ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, align="left" ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 34, , 5, , 17.5, , 44.5, , 43.8, , 68.1, , 3.1, , 0.5, , 0.4, , 0.1, , 1.0, , 6.2 , - , align="left" ,

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, align="left" ,

, 34, , 34, , 27.0, , 43.4, , 26.3, , 86.8, , 4.2, , 1.2, , 1.0, , 0.4, , 1.7, , 9.6 , - , align="left" ,

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, align="left" ,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, 34, , 34, , 31.1, , 45.7, , 39.5, , 82.1, , 4.9, , 1.8, , 1.4, , 0.4, , 2.8, , 15.5 , - , align="left" ,

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

, align="left" ,

, 34, , 25, , 25.9, , 41.5, , 30.0, , 76.3, , 5.0, , 1.5, , 0.6, , 0.3, , 2.5, , 10.9 , - , align="left" ,

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, align="left" ,

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, 34, , 33, , 26.8, , 40.8, , 31.5, , 78.1, , 4.7, , 1.4, , 0.6, , 0.4, , 2.0, , 12.6 , - , align="left" ,

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, align="left" ,

, 24, , 1, , 15.7, , 29.1, , 30.4, , 72.7, , 2.2, , 1.0, , 0.4, , 0.1, , 0.8, , 4.4 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , 11 years, 4 teams , 350, , 239, , 24.4, , 43.2, , 31.6, , 74.1, , 3.9, , 1.0, , 0.7, , 0.4, , 1.7, , 9.6

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

, align="left" , New York , 6, , 0, , 19.0, , 48.4, , 0.0, , 35.7, , 1.7, , 0.5, , 0.7, , 0.3, , 1.7, , 5.8 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" , New York , 7, , 7, , 28.0, , 47.7, , 50.0, , 75.0, , 3.9, , 0.9, , 0.4, , 1.3, , 2.1, , 11.6 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" , New York , 6, , 6, , 25.3, , 40.9, , 0.0, , 60.0, , 3.7, , 0.7, , 0.7, , 0.7, , 1.2, , 7.0 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" , New York , 8, , 8, , 33.9, , 54.8, , 33.3, , 70.3, , 4.5, , 1.3, , 0.4, , 0.5, , 1.1, , 16.1 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 3, , 0, , 13.0, , 40.0, , 0.0, , 100.0, , 2.0, , 0.3, , 0.0, , 0.0, , 1.0, , 3.3 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 2, , 2, , 24.0, , 42.9, , 100.0, , 62.5, , 1.5, , 0.5, , 0.5, , 0.0, , 3.5, , 9.0 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 2, , 2, , 34.5, , 47.5, , 28.6, , 100.0, , 6.5, , 1.0, , 0.5, , 0.0, , 5.0, , 26.5 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 6, , 0, , 30.7, , 44.8, , 56.5, , 61.5, , 5.3, , 2.7, , 0.5, , 0.2, , 3.0, , 16.5 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 3, , 3, , 29.0, , 37.5, , 0.0, , 66.7, , 4.7, , 2.0, , 1.3, , 0.0, , 2.7, , 10.0 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , 9 years, 4 teams , 43, , 28, , 27.0, , 46.9, , 39.1, , 68.5, , 3.8, , 1.1, , 0.5, , 0.5, , 2.0, , 11.6

College

, - , style="text-align:left;" , 1995–96 , style="text-align:left;" , Memphis , 30, , -, , -, , 57.8, , 28.6, , 67.3, , 5.1, , 0.8, , 1.1, , 0.4, , -, , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 1996–97 , style="text-align:left;" , Memphis , , - , style="text-align:left;" , 1997–98 , style="text-align:left;" , Memphis , 29, , -, , -, , 64.7, , 25.0, , 71.2 , , 9.9, , 1.3, , 1.8, , 1.6, , -, , 26.0 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 1998–99 , style="text-align:left;" , Memphis , 32, , -, , -, , 58.5, , 46.9, , 74.8, , 8.4, , 1.2, , 1.4, , 1.0, , -, , bgcolor=#cfecec, *26.3 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 , Career , 91, , -, , -, , 60.7, , 40.2, , 71.9, , 7.8, , 1.1, , 1.4, , 1.0, , -, , 21.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="14", Statistics retrieved from

Sports-Reference Sports Reference, LLC is an American sports statistics company that operates databases of several sports. They include Pro Football Reference for American football, Baseball Reference for baseball, Basketball Reference for basketball, Hockey Ref ...

References

External links

WNBA Player Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitmore, Tamika 1977 births Living people All-American college women's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Russia American expatriate basketball people in Poland American expatriate basketball people in Spain American expatriate basketball people in the Czech Republic American women's basketball players Basketball players from Mississippi Connecticut Sun players Indiana Fever players Los Angeles Sparks players New York Liberty draft picks New York Liberty players Memphis Tigers women's basketball players Power forwards Sportspeople from Tupelo, Mississippi Tupelo High School alumni WNBA All-Stars