Junior center Kelsey Bone announced in a Wednesday press conference she will declare for the 2013 WNBA Draft after two years of collegiate basketball at Texas A&M.
The growth and maturity that I have acquired has prepared me to be able move on to the next phase in my life as I will be entering the 2013 WNBA Draft, Bone said. The experiences I have gained at Texas A&M have prepared me for the challenges ahead. I am not afraid of these challenges I embrace it with the Aggie Spirit and core values that I have learned here in Aggieland.
The 6-foot-4 Houston native is a projected first round selection in the upcoming WNBA draft. She would be the 10th Aggie under the head coach Gary Blair to be drafted into the WNBA.
[Bone] is who I consider in my 10 years at Texas A&M the best spokesperson for A&M and womens basketball, Blair said. Her future is unlimited and I am very excited for her today and her future.
Blair said he feels Bones dedication to the sport has helped her on her way to a career in basketball.
There is nobody in the country that has improved as much as [Bone] in the past year, Blair said. She put in the work in the summer, streamlined everything and made up her mind to be a next-level player for us this season and for her future.
Bone competed at the University of South Carolina her freshman year in 2009-2010. Following the season, the Associated Press named her SEC newcomer of the Year after she led the conference in rebounds and placed eighth in scoring.
Transferring to A&M after Blair and the Aggies won the 2010 national championship, Boned returned to the court for the 2011-2012 season. Her performance in the Big 12 earned her Newcomer of the Year honors and Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades.
In the 2012-2013 season, Bone ranked second in the SEC for rebounds, third in the SEC for points per game and fourth in A&Ms program history of points in a single season with 582.