Courtney Paris

Paris in 2018
Chicago Sky
Title	Assistant coach
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	(1987-09-21)September 21, 1987 (age 38) San Jose, California, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school	Millennium (Piedmont, California)
College	Oklahoma (2005–2009)
WNBA draft	2009: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Drafted by	Sacramento Monarchs
Playing career	2009–2020
Position	Center
Coaching career	2020–present
Career history
Playing
2009	Sacramento Monarchs
2009–2010	Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
2010–2011	Rivas Ecopolis
2011–2012	Atlanta Dream
2012–2017	Tulsa Shock / Dallas Wings
2012–2013	Adana ASKİ SK
2013–2014	Mersin BB
2015–2017	Hatay BB
2018–2019	Seattle Storm
Coaching
2020–2021	Oklahoma (assistant)
2023–2024	Dallas Wings (assistant)
2025–present	Chicago Sky (assistant)
Career highlights
WNBA champion (2018) 2×WNBA rebounding champion (2014, 2015) 2×WNBA Peak Performer (2014, 2015) Senior CLASS Award (2009) AP Player of the Year (2007) 4x First-team All-American –AP (2006–2009) 4x All-American –Kodak/State Farm Coaches',USBWA(2006–2009) 3xBig 12 Player of the Year (2007–2009) 3xBig 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2006–2008) 2xBig 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2006,2007) 4x First-team All-Big 12 (2006–2009) 4x Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2006–2009) USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2006) Big 12 Freshman of the Year (2006) Big 12 All-Freshman Team (2006) 2xNCAA season rebounding leader (2006, 2008) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2005) McDonald's All-American Game MVP (2005)
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats atBasketball Reference
Medals Women'sbasketball Representingthe United States FIBA Under-19 World Cup 2005 Tunisia Team FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship 2004 Puerto Rico Team

Courtney Paris (born September 21, 1987) is an American professionalbasketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for theChicago Sky of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is best known for her accomplishments during her college career at theUniversity of Oklahoma, where she holds career averages of 21.4 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. She holds theNCAA record for most consecutive double-doubles at 112. During her senior season in 2009, Paris received considerable media attention when she announced that she would pay back her tuition to theUniversity of Oklahoma if the Sooners did not win the2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. She would lead Oklahoma to the Final Four before falling short to eventual national runner-up Louisville.

Paris was selected seventh overall by the now-defunctSacramento Monarchs in the2009 WNBA draft. Over 10 seasons in the league, she played for the Monarchs,Atlanta Dream,Tulsa Shock (later theDallas Wings), andSeattle Storm.

Paris was born inSan Jose, California.

Paris' twin sisterAshley Paris is also a basketball player. In addition to being a twin, Paris has four brothers: Wayne, David, Austin and Brandon. She has two half-brothers (Bubba's sons) William III and Christian. Her parents are Lynne Gray and formerNFL playerWilliam "Bubba" Paris.

Paris transferred fromModesto Christian High School^[1] toPiedmont High School and thenMillennium High School inPiedmont, California, at the start of the 2002–2003 year. Paris was named aWBCA All-American. She participated in the 2005WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored three points.^[2] Paris chose Oklahoma over UConn, California, Texas, UCLA, and Syracuse.

Paris is the only player inNCAA history, male or female, to have 700 points, 500 rebounds, and 100 blocks in a season. In 2005–06, Paris set the women's NCAA record forrebounds in a single season, with 539. She holds the NCAA record for most consecutivedouble-doubles at 112 games, a streak which ended on February 2, 2009, against Pat Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers; however, Oklahoma won the game, denying Summitt her 1000th career victory.^[3] On February 8, 2009, Paris broke the record for most career NCAA Division I rebounds, formerly held by Wanda Ford ofDrake.^[4] In the Sooners' victory in the semifinals of the Oklahoma City Regional in the2009 NCAA Tournament againstPitt on March 29, she became the first player in U.S. college basketball history—regardless of sex, governing body, or division—with 2,500 points and 2,000 rebounds in her career.^[5]

Paris also became the first freshman named to theAssociated Press All-American team in 2006, and again made the team in 2007.^[6] In April 2007, Paris was named the 2007 Associated Press Women's basketball player of the year. She is the first sophomore ever to win the AP Player of the year award.^[7] She won All-American honors again her junior year, and as a senior she became the first four-time first-teamAll-American in women's basketball history.^[8] She also won theLowe's Senior CLASS Award, recognizing her as the nation's top senior women's basketball player.

At Oklahoma, Paris majored in journalism.

Paris had announced that if Oklahoma did not win the NCAA championship in 2009, her final year, she would repay her scholarship — worth about $64,000 in out-of-state tuition — to the university. She said that without a championship, "I don’t feel like I’ve earned it.”^[9]

On Sunday April 5, 2009, Oklahoma lost to the Louisville Cardinals 61–59. In a post-game interview with ESPN, Paris was asked if she would make do on her promise to repay her $64,000 basketball scholarship. She replied that she would but that it would take her some time. A week later, the university said that she did not have to repay her scholarship.

Paris was selected by theSacramento Monarchs at No. 7 pick in the2009 WNBA draft and her sister was drafted to theLos Angeles Sparks.

On December 14, 2009, the WNBA held adispersal draft for the Monarchs' players.^[10] Paris was taken with the fourth pick by theChicago Sky.^[11] On May 12, 2010, Paris was waived by the Sky.^[12]

On February 8, 2011, she signed a free agent contract with theLos Angeles Sparks and on June 2, she was waived.^[13]

Paris signed with theTulsa Shock in 2012. She led theWNBA in rebounding averaging 10.2 per game in 2014 and 9.3 per game in 2015.

On February 2, 2018, Paris signed a multi-year contract with theSeattle Storm.^[14]

Paris was a member of theUSA Women's U18 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship inMayaguez, Puerto Rico. The event was held in August 2004, when the USA team defeated Puerto Rico to win the championship. Paris was the second leading scorer for the team, averaging 15.8 points per game.^[15]

Paris continued with the team as it became the U19 team, and competed in the 2005 U19 World Championships inTunis,Tunisia. The USA team won all eight games, winning the gold medal. Paris was the third leading scorer for the team, averaging 12.1 points per game and tied for the lead in rebounding with 7.0 rebounds per game.^[16]

In May 2020, Paris returned to her alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team under head coachSherri Coale.^[17]

In January 2023, Paris joined the coaching staff of the Dallas Wings in the WNBA, serving as an assistant coach under head coachLatricia Trammell.^[18]

In December 2024, Paris joined the coaching staff of the Chicago Sky, serving as an assistant coach under head coachTyler Marsh.^[19]

Source^[20]

• List of NCAA Division I women's basketball players with 2,500 points and 1,000 rebounds

• USA Basketball profile
• Oklahoma Sooners bio
• San Francisco Chronicle: Girls Player of the Year: Courtney Paris

• 1987 births
• Living people
• All-American college women's basketball players
• American expatriate basketball people in China
• American expatriate basketball people in Israel
• American expatriate basketball people in Spain
• American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
• American women's basketball players
• Atlanta Dream players
• Basketball players from San Jose, California
• Botaş SK players
• Centers (basketball)
• Dallas Wings players
• Hatay Büyükşehir Belediyesi (women's basketball) players
• McDonald's High School All-Americans
• Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi women's basketball players
• Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball coaches
• Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball players
• Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)
• Sportspeople from Piedmont, California
• Sacramento Monarchs players
• Seattle Storm players
• Shanxi Flame players
• Basketball players from Alameda County, California
• Tulsa Shock players
• American twins
• Twin teammates in sports
• 21st-century American women

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from September 2011