June 5, 2011
ATLANTA – Former Georgia Tech women’s basketball standout Alex Montgomery made her WNBA debut on Sunday afternoon at Philips Arena in Atlanta as her New York Liberty defeated the Atlanta Dream, 94-88, in overtime.
Montgomery came into the game for two minutes in the second quarter, drawing a large cheer from the Georgia Tech contingency in attendance. The 2011 ACC All-Defensive team selection picked off her first career pro steal against the Dream.
“It was very exciting to come back home to Atlanta and play in front of all the fans and my college teammates today. There was a lot of energy in the building today,” Montgomery said.
“It felt good getting out there today,” Montgomery added. “I really enjoyed myself, just trying to make plays. Hearing the Georgia Tech team cheer for me when I came in really put a smile on my face knowing that I had my college teammates there supporting me.”
Montgomery was the 10th overall draft pick and the highest player from the ACC to be selected in the WNBA Draft on April 11. She left Atlanta for training camp in early May and earned a spot on the final roster when announced by the Liberty on Thursday, June 2.
“Training camp was tough. I’m very hard on myself, but the veterans were there for me each and every day,” Montgomery said. “When I finally made it, it just felt good. The veterans told me to just keep fighting, that I’m a great defender and to keep my head up.”
The Liberty are back in action on Friday, June 10, when they play at the Indiana Fever. New York will come back to Atlanta two more times this season, Thursday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m., and Tuesday, August 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s basketball on Twitter, @GTWBB, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensBasketball, for an inside look at the program.
–RamblinWreck.com–
