Sancho Lyttle

Last updated

Sancho Lyttle
Lyttle6-20180601.jpg
Personal information
Born (1983-09-20) September 20, 1983 (age 40)
The Grenadines
NationalitySpanish
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
College
WNBA draft 2005: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Houston Comets
Playing career2005–2019
Position Power forward / center
Career history
20052008 Houston Comets
2006–2009 CB Puig d'en Valls
20092017 Atlanta Dream
2009–2011 CB Avenida
2011–2012 Ros Casares Valencia
2012–2015 Galatasaray
2015–2019 UMMC Ekaterinburg
20182019 Phoenix Mercury
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Representing Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Turkey
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2010 Czech Republic
EuroBasket
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2013 France
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 Czech Republic

Sancho Lyttle (born September 20, 1983) is a Vincentian-Spanish former professional basketball player for the WNBA. Combining the WNBA and the European season, she has won six domestic leagues and four Euroleague titles with four teams in three countries. She was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and was granted Spanish nationality in June 2010. With the Spanish basketball team she has won four medals between 2010 and 2017. [1]

Contents

Early life

Sancho Lyttle was born to Evelyn Little and Ian Cain. Members of her family spell their surname 'Lyttle' or 'Little'. Sancho has a younger brother, Xavier Little. Sancho attended St. Vincent Girls' High School where she played netball and ran various Track and Field events. She never played basketball until prompted to do so after her move to the United States. She and three other girls from her country were requested by her Junior College and current assistant coach for the University of Houston Women's team Wade Scott who offered to teach them how to play the game of basketball.

College career

Sancho Lyttle played collegiate basketball at Clarendon College before transferring to the University of Houston from 2003 to 2005 where she currently holds the record for single season rebound average (2004–2005), offensive rebounds (04-05) and most rebounds in a single season (04-05). She also holds the career record for highest rebounding average.

WNBA career

When the Houston Comets folded in 2008, Lyttle was selected first in the dispersal draft by the Atlanta Dream.

She played the power forward position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. Over her career, Lyttle has scored over 1,500 points, collected over 1,000 rebounds, and had 200 assists, 242 steals, and 96 blocks through six seasons. She was the fifth overall draft pick in the 2005 WNBA draft out of Houston.

In 2010, Lyttle had career highs in points and rebounds with 27 and 20, respectively. She was hospitalized for a number of days in 2010 after being knocked unconscious for a little over a minute by an incidental elbow during a game. Lyttle recovered and played 13 days later. [2]

On February 1, 2018, Lyttle signed with the Phoenix Mercury after spending the previous nine seasons with the Atlanta Dream. [3] However, her season ended early when she tore her ACL on June 30, 2018. [4] In September 2019, Little announced her retirement after 15 WNBA seasons. [5]

WNBA stats

SeasonTeamGPMPGPPGRPGAPG
2005 Houston Comets 3313.94.23.80.5
2006 Houston Comets 2913.13.73.90.3
2007 Houston Comets 3116.35.95.31.0
2008 Houston Comets 2718.18.26.20.9
2009 Atlanta Dream 3427.413.07.51.5
2010 Atlanta Dream 3229.112.89.922.2
2011 Atlanta Dream 2226.210.06.32.1
2012 Atlanta Dream 3431.614.07.62.5
2013 Atlanta Dream 630.014.38.52.5
2014 Atlanta Dream 3431.312.29.02.4
2015 Atlanta Dream 2430.010.38.32.2
2016 Atlanta Dream 1930.17.67.81.8
2017 [6] Atlanta Dream 2928.36.47.11.6
2018 Phoenix Mercury 1823.37.95.31.4
TOTAL [7] 37224.99.26.81.6
Lyttle in 2014 Sancho Lyttle.JPG
Lyttle in 2014

Euroleague career

Simultaneously to her WNBA career, she has played in Spain, [8] [9] Turkey and Russia, winning one Euroleague and at least one domestic league playing for every club. She currently plays for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg

Euroleague stats

Euroleague champion
SeasonTeamGPMPPPPPRPPAPP
2009-10 Flag of Spain.svg Halcón Avenida 1530.517.610.81.6
2010-11 Flag of Spain.svg Halcón Avenida 1631.113.99.81.3
2011-12 Flag of Spain.svg Ros Casares 1726.812.87.42.4
2012-13 Flag of Turkey.svg Galatasaray S.K. 1725.611.67.21.3
2013-14 Flag of Turkey.svg Galatasaray S.K. 1428.413.68.31.8
2014-15 Flag of Turkey.svg Galatasaray S.K. 1330.511.19.11.9
2015-16 Flag of Russia.svg UMMC Ekaterinburg 1723.87.87.61.9
2016-17 Flag of Russia.svg UMMC Ekaterinburg 13 [10] 20.65.85.91.8
Total12227.111.78.21.7

National team

Lyttle played her first and only tournament with native Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2004, at the Caribbean championship. [11]

After her naturalization was granted in 2010, [12] she made her debut with the senior Spanish team in 2010, days after turning 27. Up to 2017, she had 45 caps with 15.6 PPG and 9.5 RPP, participating in two World Championships and three European Championships. After helping the team qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio in mid-June, she missed the Games after breaking her toe in mid-July playing for the Atlanta Dream: [13] [14]

Awards and achievements

See also

Related Research Articles

Iziane "Izi" Castro Marques is a retired Brazilian professional basketball player. Castro Marques played for the Brazil women's national basketball team and played for the Miami Sol, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics and the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Castro Marques also played overseas in France, Brazil, Spain, Latvia, Turkey, Poland and Russia. Following her retirement, Castro Marques became the technical director of Sampaio Basquete of the Brazilian Women's Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Fowles</span> American basketball player

Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times. She led the Lynx to win the WNBA Championship in 2015 and 2017, and she was named the MVP of the WNBA Finals both times. In 2020, Fowles overtook Rebekkah Brunson to become the WNBA's career leader in rebounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsey Harding</span> American basketball player

Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She serves as the head coach of the Stockton Kings. Throughout her playing career, Harding played for the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and has played overseas in Turkey and Russia. She was previously a scout and a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas and also holds a Belarusian passport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Dream</span> Womens basketball team

The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real estate investors Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and former Dream player Renee Montgomery. Although the Dream share the Atlanta market with the National Basketball Association's Hawks, the Dream is not affiliated with its NBA counterpart. The Dream play at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Érika de Souza</span> Brazilian basketball player

Érika Cristina de Souza is a Brazilian professional basketball player for BC Castors Braine of the EuroLeague.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittney Griner</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Brittney Yevette Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's national basketball team and a six-time WNBA All-Star. She was additionally named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marta Fernández (basketball)</span> Spanish basketball player

Marta Fernández Farrés is a retired Spanish women's basketball player. A 1.80 m (5'11") guard, she won three bronze medals with the Spain women's national basketball team. At club level, she played in 2007 with the Los Angeles Sparks of the United States' WNBA., the Polish team Wisła Can-Pack Kraków and the Spanish teams Universitari Barcelona, Ros Casares Valencia and Perfumerías Avenida, where she retired in 2015. Marta Fernández is the sister of Spanish international and Real Madrid shooting guard Rudy Fernández.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel McCoughtry</span> American basketball player

Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. McCoughtry completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA draft and was considered its franchise player during her tenure with the team. McCoughtry has also played overseas in Turkey, Slovakia, Lebanon, Hungary and Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Charles (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Tina Alexandria Charles is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Originally from Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Charles was drafted first overall in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. In 2009 and 2010, she and teammate Maya Moore led the Connecticut Huskies to two undefeated national championships. She has won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeWanna Bonner</span> American-Macedonian professional basketball player

DeWanna Bonner is an American-Macedonian professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Bonner played college basketball for Auburn University. After a successful college career at Auburn, she was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the fifth overall pick of the 2009 WNBA draft, and was traded to the Sun 11 years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuria Martínez</span> Spanish basketball player

Nuria Martínez Prat is a Spanish professional basketball player for Spar CityLift Girona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breanna Stewart</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Breanna Mackenzie Stewart is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Fenerbahçe of the Women's Basketball Super League, Euroleague Women.

Marta Xargay Casademont is a retired Spanish professional basketball player. She played for Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, and for several European teams in Czech Republic, Russia and Spain. She played for the Spain women's national basketball team from 2011 to 2020. She won EuroLeague Women 2010–11 with Perfumerías Avenida Baloncesto. She left Spain in 2015, joining both USK Praha of the Czech League in 2015 and the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA on 11 February 2015. In September 2018, she signed for Dynamo Kursk of the Russian Premier League and in January 2020, she returned to her youth club Uni Girona CB. After not playing in the 2020-21 season, she announced her retirement in July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Cruz</span> Spanish basketball player

Anna Cruz Lebrato is a Spanish professional basketball player, currently playing for Spanish team Barça CBS (F.C.Barcelona). She developed her professional career in several clubs in Spain, Russia, Turkey and the United States, and had 178 caps for the Spain's national basketball team from 2009 to 2019, winning a total of eight medals. She also won the 2015 WNBA, the 2017 EuroLeague and the 2017 and 2019 EuroBaskets.

Aneika A. Henry is a Jamaican-Azerbaijani professional basketball player for OGM Orman Genclik Ankara of the Turkish Women's Basketball League..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astou Ndour-Fall</span> Basketball player

Astou Ndour-Fall is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Çukurova Basketbol of the Turkish Women's Basketball League. Born in Senegal, she represents Spain internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Williams (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Elizabeth Olatayo Williams is a British-born Nigerian-American basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was the longest standing member of the Atlanta Dream until she signed with the Mystics. After immigrating from Colchester, Essex, England, she played her college career at Duke University. Then, she was drafted by the Connecticut Sun 4th overall in the 2015 WNBA draft, and was traded to Atlanta after only one year with the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allisha Gray</span> American basketball player

Allisha Gray is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Elitzur Ramla of Israel. She won a gold medal in Women's 3x3 basketball, at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Arica Derris Carter is an American professional women's basketball player for Perfumerias Avenidas in the Spanish Liga Femenina de Baloncesto and, previously, was in Panathinaikos before os that she won the championship in Mexico after stints with teams in the Spanish Liga Femenina de Baloncesto and Phoenix Mercury of the United States's Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raquel Carrera</span> Spanish basketball player

Raquel Carrera Quintana is a Spanish professional basketball player for Valencia Basket of the Liga Femenina in Spain.

References

  1. "archive.fiba.com: Players". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  2. Lyttle rebounds from big blow
  3. "Mercury Signs All-Star Forward Sancho Lyttle". mercury.wnba.com. February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  4. "Mercury Forward Sancho Lyttle Out For Season With Torn ACL". mercury.wnba.com. July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  5. "Lyttle announces her retirement after 15 WNBA seasons". Fansided. September 16, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  6. "Stats - Atlanta Dream". Atlanta Dream. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  7. "Sancho Lyttle - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  8. Offseason 2008–09: Overseas Roster
  9. "Federación Española de Baloncesto - Competiciones FEB". competiciones.feb.es. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  10. "Sancho LYTTLE at the EuroLeague Women 2017 - FIBA.basketball". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  11. "St.Vincent and the Grenadines | 2004 CBC Championship for Women | ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  12. "La selección española 'ficha' a Sancho Lyttle, una de las mejores jugadoras del mundo - MARCA.com". www.marca.com. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  13. Hill, Jordan. "Dream lose forward Sancho Lyttle for rest of regular season". ajc. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  14. "Duro golpe para España: Sancho Lyttle se lesiona en la WNBA no estará en los Juegos". Gigantes del Basket (in European Spanish). July 17, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  15. "Moore named MVP of 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, headlines All-Star Five". FIBA.com. October 5, 2014. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2014.