Cheryl Ford

From Hoopedia

Ford was named MVP in the 2007 WNBA All-Star game.

Cheryl Ford (born June 6, 1981 in Homer, Louisiana) is a player for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Detroit Shock. Her mother is Bonita Ford, who raised her; her father is former Utah Jazz star Karl Malone.

Ford starred for Louisiana Tech University. In 2003, she was named to the Associated Press' All-America Honorable Mention team. She was also named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003.

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WNBA

In 2003 the Detroit Shock picked her as the #3 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.

In 2003, her first year in the league, she helped to lead the Shock from a worst to first record and a WNBA championship. In her rookie season she averaged 10.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg; she was one of only three WNBA players to average at double-double that season. She was rewarded for her fine play by being named WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Afterwards, she played for the Dallas Fury in the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) under Hall of Fame Coach Nancy Lieberman.

When the Shock won the WNBA Championship again in 2006 Ford averaged 13.4 ppg and 10.3 rpg during the playoffs.

Ford has been elected to the WNBA All-Star team four times: 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She also played on the 2004 WNBA All-Star Team in an exhibition game against the 2004 USA Basketball Senior National Team, as part of that team's preparations for the Athens Olympics.

Ford was named a starter on the 2007 WNBA East All-Star team. She entered the game nursing a bone bruise in her left knee and, therefore, unsure how many minutes she would be able to put in. She played 27 minutes and tallied 16 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to lead the East to a 103-99 win over the West. For her efforts Ford was named game MVP.

She is the only player to have won WNBA Rookie of the Year Award and a WNBA championship in the same year. Ford is also the first WNBA Rookie of the Year to win the WNBA All-Star game MVP award.

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