Former Sparkman Star Set To Be Drafted By The WNBA
HARVEST- Opting to not forgo her senior season of play by applying for the WNBA Draft in 2018, Alex Jennings is on par to be among the top 50 players drafted in the upcoming April 10, 2019 WNBA Draft after completing her senior season for the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks basketball team.
The former Sparkman High All-State and All-American athlete who helped the Lady Senators to the 2014 State Championship and runner-up a year later losing in the finals to Shades Valley, is finishing her senior year with the Lady Gamecocks averaging over 10 points and six rebounds per game for the No. 13 Gamecocks and second best team in the Southeastern Conference. As a junior last year, Jennings averaged 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per outing in her first season with South Carolina.
The 6-foot-3 fifth year senior signed with Kentucky out of Sparkman High and chose to transfer to South Carolina after her sophomore season. She sat out one year according to NCCA rules before becoming a force for the Lady Gamecocks in her redshirt junior year in 2018. At Kentucky, she played in 67 games averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, posted seven career double-doubles and earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 2015 averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
There’s a chance Jennings will be among the dozen prospects who will be invited to attend the live ESPN broadcast of the draft to be held in New York City. Just being among the top 50 players is a bittersweet ending to her college action after turning down the chance to enter the WNBA Draft a year ago.
Jennings is one of three children to Bennie Jennings and Tracy McCall-Gholston. Both of her parents were outstanding college athletes and both have been inducted into the University of North Alabama (UNA) Hall of Fame. Her father was inducted in football while her mother was enshrined in woman’s basketball. Jennings has two brothers, Jauan and Kendall. Jauan is a current wide receiver for the Tennessee Volunteers football team.
A three-time first team All-State selection at Sparkman, Jennings was also named the 6A Player of the Year and Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014. Prior to entry into college, she was rated among the top 10 players in the country by ESPN.com.
“The first thing that pops into my head when I think of Alexis is what a great person she is. Her teachers loved her as much as her coaches did because she worked hard and was a joy to be around,” said Patrick Delay head coach at Sparkman. “She is that rare player who has as much talent on the court as off the court.”
Her place among the elite to be selected in the upcoming WNBA Draft is something she has dreamed of since growing up as a young girl around athletic parents. She saw what she could do. That’s all she needed as a guide and inspiration to be where she is today.
