Matee Ajavon

Matee Ajavon (born May 7, 1986) is a Liberian American basketball player. A 5'8" guard, Ajavon was chosen by the Houston Comets as the fifth overall draft pick in the 2008 WNBA draft.

Matee Ajavon
Personal information
Born (1986-05-07) May 7, 1986 (age 38)
NationalityAmerican / Liberian
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Listed weight160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
High schoolMalcolm X Shabazz
(Newark, New Jersey)
CollegeRutgers (2004–2008)
WNBA draft2008: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Houston Comets
Playing career2008–present
PositionPoint guard
Career history
2008Houston Comets
2008–2010Fenerbahçe Istanbul
20092014Washington Mystics
2010–2011Istanbul University
2011–2012Optimum Ted Kolejliler
2013CSM Târgovişte
2013–presentMersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi
2014–2017Atlanta Dream
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Representing USA
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Brazil Team Competition

Early life

As a child, Ajavon immigrated to the United States with her family from Monrovia, Liberia.[1]

High school

Ajavon graduated from Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, New Jersey. She led the Shabazz girls' basketball team to victory in the State of New Jersey's "Tournament of Champions" in both 2003 and 2004, the first time a school had repeated as champion. Ajavon was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored nine points.[2]

College

Ajavon graduated from Rutgers University in 2008, having majored in Africana Studies. She was a key member of the 2006–2007 Scarlet Knights women's basketball team that reached the NCAA Championship game.

College statistics

Source[3]

Legend
  GPGames 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
YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2004–05Rutgers3543441.626.272.22.93.52.20.212.4
2005–06Rutgers 3240243.334.175.02.84.52.60.412.6
2006–07Rutgers 3238341.539.570.63.13.81.70.412.0
2007–08Rutgers 3340339.825.278.83.65.21.80.312.2
CareerRutgers 132162241.530.974.13.14.22.10.312.3

USA Basketball

Ajavon played for the USA team in the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team won all five games, earning the gold medal for the event.[4]

Professional

Ajavon played primarily off the bench during her rookie WNBA season, but averaged 8.0 points per game. When the Houston Comets folded in 2008, Ajavon was selected second in the dispersal draft by the Washington Mystics.

During the 2008–2010 WNBA offseason, Ajavon played in the EuroLeague Women for Fenerbahçe Istanbul.[5]

In her first season with Washington, Ajavon put up remarkably similar numbers to her first WNBA campaign. Again mainly playing as a reserve, she scored 8.0 points per game. Ajavon helped the Mystics reach the playoffs, where she played well, scoring 19 points in just 34 total minutes, but Washington suffered a two-game sweep at the hands of the Indiana Fever.

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2008Houston34217.8.332.194.7911.81.70.90.21.58.0
2009Washington34417.3.336.341.6731.91.11.10.11.48.0
2010Washington34014.6.346.184.7731.61.41.10.11.55.9
2011Washington343331.3.391.276.8292.43.11.70.33.014.7
2012Washington332221.6.299.301.8271.82.01.60.21.97.9
2013Washington342721.6.299.301.8271.72.90.90.02.28.9
2014Atlanta2419.2.278.111.7241.72.90.90.00.92.2
2015Atlanta331117.6.405.167.8221.82.51.40.11.85.9
2016Atlanta33210.6.305.231.7501.61.20.30.21.03.3
2017Atlanta3128.1.289.000.7951.21.00.30.00.92.4
Career10 years, 3 teams32310417.4.347.266.7821.81.81.00.11.76.9

Postseason

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2009Washington2017.0.375.250.8332.51.52.00.01.09.5
2010Washington2017.5.440.400.7500.01.51.50.01.018.0
2013Washington3321.9.235.000.7503.32.32.00.02.64.7
2014Atlanta2017.5.000.000.0001.00.50.00.00.50.0
2016Atlanta2115.6.500.0001.0002.50.50.00.01.57.0
Career5 years, 2 team11415.7.368.190.8062.01.41.20.01.57.5

Notes

External links