Kahleah Copper: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1994)}}

| years2 = {{WNBA Year|2017}}–{{WNBA Year|2023}}2016–2017

| team2 = [[ChicagoBC SkyCastors Braine]]

| team3 = [[PerfumeriasChicago AvenidaSky]]

| years4 = {{WNBA Year|2024}}–present2017–2018

| team4 = [[PhoenixArka MercuryGdynia (women's basketball)|Arka Gdynia]]

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women’sWomen's [[basketball]]}}

'''Kahleah Copper''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|iː|ə}} {{respell|kə|LEE|ə}}; born August 28, 1994)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/kahleah-copper_1954730 |title=COPPER Kahleah |datework=[[Paris 2024 |website=Olympics.com]] |access-date=August 8 August, 2024}}</ref> is an American professional [[basketball]] player for the [[Phoenix Mercury]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA). She was drafted with the seventh overall pick by the [[Washington Mystics]] in [[2016 WNBA draft|2016]], and was traded to the [[Chicago Sky]] the next year.

==Early life and playing careercollege==

Copper is a native of [[North Philadelphia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Costabile |first=Annie |date=2021-07-July 17, 2021 |title=Kahleah Copper's All-Star debut just the beginning for young star from North Philly |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky-and-wnba/2021/7/17/22573796/kahleah-coppers-all-star-debut-just-the-beginning-for-young-star-from-north-philly |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref> She attended and played for Girard College and the Preparatory Charter High School in Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Damichael |date=June 30, 2021 |title=Prep Charter grad Kahleah Copper becomes the first Philly player since 2006 named to the WNBA All-Star game |url=https://www.inquirer.com/high-school-sports/pennsylvania/kahleah-copper-wnba-all-star-game-philly-20210630.html |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Donald |date=October 11, 2021 |title=Former Prep Charter standout Kahleah Copper stars in the WNBA Finals |url=https://www.phillytrib.com/sports/former-prep-charter-standout-kahleah-copper-stars-in-the-wnba-finals/article_deb8f456-e8e1-564e-ae8d-573cef131799.html |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=The Philadelphia Tribune |language=en}}</ref> As a high school player, she was named to the All-Public League team in Philadelphia, the All-State team in Pennsylvania, and the McDonald's All-American team.<ref name=":1" /> She played for the [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's basketball]] team in college from 2012 to 2016, finishing her college career with the third-most points all time in team history (1,872).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breitman |first=Aaron |date=2021-07-July 14, 2021 |title=Former Rutgers stars Kahleah Copper & Betnijah Laney making WNBA All-Star Game debuts |url=https://www.onthebanks.com/2021/7/14/22576763/rutgers-basketball-kahleah-copper-betnijah-laney-wnba-all-star-game-chicago-sky-new-york-liberty |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=On the Banks |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Copper was drafted as the 7th overall pick in the [[2016 WNBA draft]] by the [[Washington Mystics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scarletknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1025 |title=Kahleah Copper - 2015-16 Women's Basketball Roster - The Official Site of Rutgers Athletics |website=www.scarletknights.com |accessdate=24 August 24, 2017}}</ref> She was a bench player in her first season, averaging 16.2 minutes and 6.2 points per game. After the season, she was traded to the [[Chicago Sky]] as part of a deal that sent [[Elena Delle Donne]] to the Mystics and [[Stefanie Dolson]], Copper, and the 2nd overall pick in the [[2017 WNBA draft|2017 draft]] to the Sky.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Sean |date=February 2, 2017-02-02 |title=Elena Delle Donne trade: win for all three sides |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/18606176/elena-delle-donne-trade-win-washington-mystics-chicago-sky |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2020-07-July 29, 2020 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Costabile |first=Annie |date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |title=The trade that brought Kahleah Copper to Chicago |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky-and-wnba/2021/10/12/22721101/the-trade-that-brought-kahleah-copper-to-chicago |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref>

==== Chicago Sky (2017-20242017–2024) ====

In her first three seasons with the Sky, Copper generally came off the bench and averaged 6.7 to 7.1 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voepel |first=Mechelle |date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |title='She's the best player out there sometimes': Chicago's Copper is the breakout player of the WNBA playoffs |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/32385227/2021-wnba-finals-chicago-sky-kahleah-copper-five-biggest-breakout-performances-wnba-playoff-history |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2020, she was re-signed by the Sky.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ariail |first=Cat |date=2020-02-February 25, 2020 |title=With VanderQuigs returning, plus arrival of Azurá Stevens and Sydney Colson, is the Sky the limit for Chicago? |url=https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2020/2/25/21150660/wnba-free-agency-chicago-sky-courtney-vandersloot-allie-quigley-stefanie-dolson-azura-stevens |access-date=2020-07-July 29, 2020 |website=Swish Appeal |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kahleah Copper Returns to Chicago, Re-Signs With Sky |url=https://sky.wnba.com/news/kahleah-copper-returns-to-chicago-re-signs-with-sky/ |access-date=June 9, 2023-06-09 |website=Chicago Sky |language=en}}</ref> She was elevated to a starting role in the [[2020 Chicago Sky season|2020 season]], which was played in a "bubble" [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports|due to the COVID-19 pandemic]], and led the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kenney |first=Madeline |date=2020-08-August 22, 2020 |title=Sky guard Kahleah Copper shining in starting role this season |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-saturday/2020/8/22/21374186/sky-guard-kahleah-copper-shining-in-starting-role-this-season |access-date=2020-08-August 23, 2020 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Kenney |first=Madeline |date=December 5, 2020-12-05 |title=Sky star Kahleah Copper is taking an unexpected career turn in the offseason |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-saturday/2020/12/5/21824285/sky-star-kahleah-copper-is-taking-an-unexpected-career-turn-offseason-wnba-purdue-northwest |access-date=2021-10-October 12, 2021 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Copper continued into her starting role in the [[2021 Chicago Sky season|2021 season]], and was named as an [[2021 WNBA All-Star Game|All-Star]] for the first time.<ref name=":0" /> She averaged 14.4 points per game in the regular season and led the team in scoring in the postseason with 17.7 points per game. Copper led the Sky to their [[2021 WNBA Finals|first championship]] and was named [[WNBA Finals MVP|Finals MVP]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voepel |first=Mechelle |date=2021-10-October 17, 2021 |title=WNBA Finals 2021: 10 biggest questions for the WNBA offseason |url=https://abc7ny.com/11137613/ |access-date=2021-10-October 17, 2021 |website=ABC7 New York |language=en}}</ref>

In the offseason, the Sky used their one available "core player" designation for Copper, and subsequently signed her to a two-year contract.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Costabile |first=Annie |date=2022-01-January 13, 2022 |title=Sky put core designation on WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky-and-wnba/2022/1/12/22864933/sky-put-core-designation-on-wnba-finals-mvp-kahleah-copper |access-date=June 9, 2023-06-09 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Costabile |first=Annie |date=2022-01-January 31, 2022 |title=Kahleah Copper will sign multiyear deal with the Sky |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky-and-wnba/2022/1/31/22910554/kahleah-copper-sky-multiyear-deal-wnba |access-date=June 9, 2023-06-09 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref> In the [[2022 Chicago Sky season|2022 season]], Copper was once again named an All-Star as the Sky returned to the postseason but lost in the semifinals in 5 games.

==National Internationalteam career ==

| align=center colspan="2" |'''Career'''

[[Category:LGBTLGBTQ basketball players]]

[[Category:21st-century American LGBTLGBTQ people]]