BY BRANDON KING
In 2022, Jackson State center Ameshya Williams-Holliday became just the sixth player from an HBCU to be taken in the WNBA Draft when she was selected by the Indiana Fever.
Two more Black college players now seek to add their names to that list.
Jazmin Harris of North Carolina A&T and Alabama State guard Ayana Emmanuel have declared for the 2023 WNBA Draft.
After spending three seasons at UNC Charlotte, she transferred to N.C. A&T, where she appeared in 56 contests, which included 39 starts. Harris averaged 13 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Aggies.
Harris garnered All-CAA Second Team honors this season, scoring in double figures in her first nine conference games and recording a double-double in her first three CAA outings.
Her ability to play physically inside allowed her to obtain excellent post position and catch difficult-to-handle passes in traffic. Harris also can consistently hit the mid-range jumper, shooting 48.9 percent from the field this past season.
Emmanuel, who was the SWAC Player of the Year, led the Hornets in scoring, averaging 16.8 points in helping Alabama State to the conference tournament semifinals.
The All-SWAC First Team performer scored 2,000 points in her college career, adding 575 rebounds and 272 assists. In addition to her SWAC Player of the Year honors, Emmanuel also was previously named SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2018 and named to the All-SWAC Second Team in 2019.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for all these blessings. It was not easy for me. When I graduated high school, I only had 2 D1 offers and only went on one visit. I was always overlooked,” she wrote on Instagram. “So I promised myself that I’d make them remember name and would leave a mark wherever I went because they slept on me. I remained humble and dedicated. I don’t need to speak on it, I let my hard work speak for itself.”
The WNBA Draft is scheduled for Monday, April 10 at 7 p.m. EST.
