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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1988-11-12)November 12, 1988 (age 37) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Cleveland Central Catholic (Cleveland, Ohio) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Ohio State (2007–2011) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WNBA draft | 2011: 1st round, 5th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Sparks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2011–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2018 | Los Angeles Sparks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Beşiktaş | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | CCC Polkowice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Beretta Famila Schio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Wisła Kraków | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Fenerbahçe Istanbul | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Yakin Dogu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Famila Schio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Chicago Sky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Çukurova Basketbol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Indiana Fever | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Athletes Unlimited League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Seattle Storm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Stats at WNBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Jantel Lavender (born November 12, 1988) is an American professionalbasketball player who most recently played for theSeattle Storm of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the2011 WNBA draft by theLos Angeles Sparks.
AtOhio State University, Lavender was namedBig Ten Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year in each of her four seasons (2008–2011). The Big Ten presents two separate POY awards, one voted on by league coaches and the other by media members. Lavender received the coaches' version in 2008, the media version in 2011, and both awards in 2009 and 2010.[1] At the time, this made her only the thirdNCAA Division I women's player to be a four-time conference player of the year.[2][a]
Lavender was a member of theUSA Women's U18 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship inColorado Springs, Colorado. The event was held in July 2006, when the USA team defeated Canada to win the championship. Lavender averaged 4.8 points per game.[4]Lavender was a member of theUSA Women's U19 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship inBratislava,Slovakia. The event was held in July and August 2007, when the USA team defeated Sweden to win the championship. Lavender scored 16 points in the preliminary round game against Lithuania, then scored 28 points in a win over Spain. She scored 25 points in the win over the Czech Republic. Over the course of the tournament, she averaged 16.0 points per game, second only toMaya Moore with 16.3 per game. Lavender led the team in rebounding, averaging 8.1 per game.[5]Lavender was named a member of the team representing the US at the 2009 World University Games held inBelgrade,Serbia. The team won all seven games to earn the gold medal. She recorded a double-double, with 16 points and 12 rebounds against France. In the gold medal game against previously undefeated Russia, Lavender had 14 points.[6]
Lavender was selected in the first round of the2011 WNBA draft (5th overall) by theLos Angeles Sparks.[7] Throughout her first four seasons, she was a reserve on the Sparks' roster and had been a key contributor off the bench with her scoring and rebounding.
In 2015, Lavender re-signed with the Sparks once her rookie contract expired.[8] Lavender had a breakout season in 2015. WithCandace Parker sitting out the first half of the season to rest, Lavender became the Sparks' starting center. She would start in all 34 games and average a career-high 14.5 points per game along with 8.3 rebounds per game. That same year she was voted as a WNBA all-star for the first time in her career.
In the 2016 season, Lavender returned to the back-up center role on the team's roster, with Parker returning to the starting center position. Off the bench, Lavender was still effective for the Sparks, she had averaged 9.6 points per game and scored a career-high 25 points in an overtime regular season win against theConnecticut Sun.[9] Her season performance would earn her theWNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award.[10] The Sparks finished 26–8, advancing all the way to the WNBA Finals and defeated theMinnesota Lynx 3 games to 2, as they won their first championship since 2002 as well as Lavender winning her first championship.
In 2017, Lavender signed a contract extension with the Sparks.[11] During the 2017 season, Lavender averaged 7.3 ppg off the bench. The Sparks would once again finished as the number 2 seed in the league with the same record they posted last season, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals. The Sparks would eliminate thePhoenix Mercury in a 3-game sweep, advancing to the Finals for the second season in a row, setting up a rematch with the Lynx. However, the Sparks would lose in five games, failing to win back-to-back championships.
In the 2018 season, Lavender played 30 games with 7 starts to help fill in the starting power forward role duringNneka Ogwumike's absence. The Sparks finished with a 19–15 record, clinching the number 6 seed. In the first round elimination game, the Sparks defeated the Minnesota Lynx 75–68, ending their streak of three consecutive Finals appearances. However, the Sparks would lose to theWashington Mystics in the second round elimination game, 96–64.
A few days before the 2019 season, Lavender was traded to theChicago Sky in exchange for a 2020 second round draft pick.[12] Lavender immediately became a starter for the Sky. On August, 14, 2019, Lavender underwent foot surgery to repair a fracture in her left foot, causing her to miss the rest of the season with a recovery period of 8–9 weeks.[13] Without Lavender, the Sky finished the season 20–14 as the number 5 seed, they would make it as far as the second round where they lost 93–92 to theLas Vegas Aces in the elimination game.
On June 30, 2020, it was announced that Lavender would miss the whole 2020 season after once again having to undergo surgery on her left foot.[14] On August 28, 2020, Lavender was traded to theIndiana Fever along with a second and third-round draft pick in exchange forStephanie Mavunga.[15]
In February 2021, Lavender re-signed with the Indiana Fever to a multi-year deal.[16][17]
In the 2010-11 off-season, Lavender played inTurkey forBeşiktaş JK. In the 2011-12 off-season, Lavender played inPoland forCCC Polkowice. In the 2012-13 off-season, Lavender played inItaly forPF Schio winning an Italian championship. From 2013 to 2015, Lavender played two off-seasons in Poland once again forWBC Wisła Kraków, winning a couple Polish Cups and National championships as well as MVP honors for both the seasons and the Cup series in both those years. In the 2015-16 off-season, Lavender played forFenerbahçe Istanbul in Turkey and won both the Turkish Cup and Turkish National championship.[18] As of August 2016, Lavender had re-signed with Fenerbahçe Istanbul for the 2016-17 off-season.[19] In September 2017, Lavender signed withYakin Dogu for the 2017-18 off-season and won another Turkish Cup.[20] In the 2018-19 off-season, Lavender signed withFamila Schio of the Italian league.[21][22] In January 2020, Lavender signed with Çukurova Basketbol of the Turkish league for the 2019-20 off-season, the Turkish/Euroleague season eventually got cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[23]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Lavender won aWNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Los Angeles | 33 | 3 | 14.8 | .500 | .000 | .733 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 6.6 |
| 2012 | Los Angeles | 34 | 1 | 14.4 | .506 | .000 | .844 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 5.6 |
| 2013 | Los Angeles | 34 | 3 | 16.8 | .507 | .000 | .865 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 7.2 |
| 2014 | Los Angeles | 34 | 27 | 28.3 | .527 | .200 | .794 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 11.9 |
| 2015 | Los Angeles | 34 | 34 | 33.8 | .525 | .333 | .882 | 8.3 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 14.5 |
| 2016† | Los Angeles | 34 | 0 | 19.4 | .538 | .000 | .683 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 9.6 |
| 2017 | Los Angeles | 32 | 0 | 17.3 | .488 | .313 | .846 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 7.3 |
| 2018 | Los Angeles | 30 | 7 | 17.0 | .428 | .188 | .900 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| 2019 | Chicago | 23 | 22 | 26.9 | .490 | .222 | .905 | 6.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 10.0 |
| 2021 | Indiana | 27 | 14 | 20.0 | .404 | .200 | .900 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 6.4 |
| 2022 | Seattle | 27 | 4 | 12.2 | .409 | .208 | .667 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| Career | 11 years, 4 teams | 342 | 115 | 20.1 | .495 | .229 | .819 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 8.1 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Los Angeles | 4 | 0 | 10.0 | .750 | .000 | .500 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| 2013 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0 | 11.6 | .714 | .000 | .500 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.7 |
| 2014 | Los Angeles | 2 | 2 | 20.4 | .429 | .000 | .000 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 6.0 |
| 2015 | Los Angeles | 3 | 3 | 34.5 | .577 | 1.000 | .600 | 6.7 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 11.3 |
| 2016† | Los Angeles | 9 | 0 | 15.6 | .607 | .000 | .000 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 7.6 |
| 2017 | Los Angeles | 8 | 0 | 14.1 | .436 | .125 | 1.000 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 4.8 |
| 2018 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0 | 16.0 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| Career | 7 years, 1 team | 29 | 5 | 16.3 | .548 | .182 | .667 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 5.9 |
Source[24]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Ohio State | 31 | 547 | 51.3 | 20.0 | 66.1 | 9.9 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 17.6 |
| 2008–09 | Ohio State | 35 | 728 | 54.1 | - | 75.5 | 10.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 20.8 |
| 2009–10 | Ohio State | 36 | 769 | 51.4 | 40.0 | 77.6 | 10.3 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 21.4 |
| 2010–11 | Ohio State | 34 | 774 | 54.8 | - | 80.2 | 10.9 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 22.8 |
| Career | Ohio State | 136 | 2818 | 53.0 | 23.1 | 75.6 | 10.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 20.7 |
