Cheryl Ford
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1981)}}
{{About|the WNBA player|former Seattle SuperSonics forward|Sherell Ford}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Cheryl Ford
| image = Cheryl and Plenette (633882629) (cropped).jpg
| league =
| team =
| number =
| position =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lbs = 195
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1981|06|6}}
| birth_place = Homer, Louisiana, U.S.
| high_school = Summerfield (Summerfield, Louisiana)
| college = Louisiana Tech (1999–2003)
| draft_league = WNBA
| draft_year = 2003
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 3
| draft_team = Detroit Shock
| career_start = 2003
| career_end = 2013
| career_position = Forward
| years1 = 2003–2009
| team1 = Detroit Shock
| years2 = 2004–2005
| team2 = Dallas Fury
| years3 = 2005–2006
| team3 = Anda Ramat Hasharon
| years4 = 2006–2007
| team4 = UGMK Jekaterinburg
| years5 = 2010
| team5 = CCC Aquapark Polkowice
| years6 = 2010–2011
| team6 = Frisco SIKA Brno
| years7 = 2011–2012
| team7 = Beretta Famila Schio
| years8 = 2012–2013
| team8 = Canik Belediyespor
| highlights = * 3× WNBA champion (2003, 2006, 2008)
- 4× WNBA All-Star (2003, 2005–2007)
- 2× All-WNBA Second Team ({{WNBA Year|2003}}, {{WNBA Year|2006}})
- WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2007)
- WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2003)
- 2× WNBA rebounding champion (2005, 2006)
- WAC tournament MVP (2003)
- 2x WAC Player of the Year (2002, 2003)
- 2x First-team All-WAC team (2002, 2003)
| medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Women's Basketball}}
{{MedalCountry | USA }}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championship}}
{{MedalBronze| 2006 Brazil | Team Competition}}
| wnba_profile = cheryl_ford
}}
Cheryl Ford (born June 6, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. As a member of the Detroit Shock, she won the WNBA championship three times.
Early life and education
Cheryl Ford is the daughter of Bonita Ford and former NBA player Karl Malone. She has a twin brother named Daryl and a half brother, former NFL offensive tackle Demetress Bell. Malone's paternity was established as the result of a drawn-out paternity suit.{{Cite web |date=2012-07-10 |title=POSTAGE DUE |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/magazine/archives/news/story?page=magazine-20030901-article10 |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}
Ford played for Summerfield High School in Summerfield, Louisiana, where she was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 1999 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored two points.
College career
Ford was a standout collegiate player at Louisiana Tech University. In 2003, she was named to the Associated Press' All-America Honorable Mention team. She was also named the Western Athletic Conference "Player of the Year" in 2002 and 2003.
=Louisiana Tech statistics=
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Team !GP !Points !FG% !3P% !FT% !RPG !APG !SPG !BPG !PPG |
| 1999–2000
|34 |222 |58.0 | – |66.7 |5.2 |0.1 |0.6 |0.9 |6.5 |
| 2000–01
|Louisiana Tech |35 |287 |52.7 | – |60.0 |5.1 |0.5 |0.7 |0.7 |8.2 |
| 2001–02
|Louisiana Tech |30 |338 |46.5 | – |58.6 |8.7 |0.4 |0.9 |1.8 |11.3 |
| 2002–03
|Louisiana Tech |34 |533 |48.0 | – |63.0 |12.9 |0.9 |1.6 |1.9 |15.7 |
| Career
|Louisiana Tech |133 |1380 |49.9 |0.0 |61.7 |7.9 |0.5 |1.0 |1.3 |10.4 |
Professional career
In 2003, Ford was drafted as the No. 3 overall pick in the first round by the Detroit Shock in the WNBA draft.
In just her first year in the league, Ford led the Shock from worst to the best record and a WNBA championship in 2003. She is the first player to have won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award and a WNBA championship in the same year. Afterwards, she played for the Dallas Fury in the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) under Coach Nancy Lieberman.
Ford spent the 2005–06 season in Israel, playing for Anda Ramat Hasharon.{{cite news |author1=Ron Vample |title=Former Anda Ramat Hasharon players prepare for WNBA Finals |url=https://www.jpost.com/Sports/Former-Anda-Ramat-Hasharon-players-prepare-for-WNBA-Finals |access-date=22 June 2019 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=31 August 2006}}
On July 15, 2007, Ford won the WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award in Washington, D.C. when the East beat the West 103–99.
Ford missed the rest of the 2008 WNBA season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in her right knee, sustained on July 22, 2008 during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. A brawl had broken out and Ford sustained the injury while attempting to restrain her teammate.{{cite news |title=WNBA hands down suspensions for Shock-Sparks skirmish |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/news/story?id=3503435 |access-date=22 June 2019 |work=ESPN.com |date=6 August 2008}}
During the 2009 WNBA season, Ford averaged 7.4 rebounds per game and 8.6 points per game.
In January 2010, Ford signed a deal with Polish team CCC Aquapark Polkowice from 1st division league Ford Germaz Ekstraklasa (PLKK).
Ford spent the 2011–12 season with Beretta Famila Schio, averaging 11.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.{{cite news |title=Karl Malone'un kızı Canik Belediyesi'nde |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/karl-malone-un-kizi-canik-belediyesinde-21441458 |access-date=22 June 2019 |work=hurriyet.com |date=11 September 2012 |language=tr}}
On September 12, 2012, The Canik Belediyesi basketball club was announced as having signed Ford, as well as New York Liberty veteran Janel McCarville.
In March 2013, she signed with the New York Liberty.{{cite news |title=Cheryl Ford returns to WNBA with New York Liberty |url=https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/13/4097718/wnba-free-agency-2013-new-york-liberty-cheryl-ford |access-date=22 June 2019 |work=swishappeal.com |date=13 March 2013}}{{cite news |author1=Mechelle Voepel |title=Ford returns, but Bird out for 2013 |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/9045686/wnba-cheryl-ford-returns-wnba-sue-bird-2013 |access-date=22 June 2019 |work=ESPN.com |date=12 March 2013}} She missed most of the preseason due to a left knee injury, appearing in one preseason game before being released in June.{{cite news |title=New York Liberty sign, free agent Avery Warley |url=http://www.wnba.com/liberty/news/new_york_liberty_sign_free_ag_2013_06_17.html |access-date=22 June 2019 |work=WNBA.com |date=17 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621023514/http://www.wnba.com/liberty/news/new_york_liberty_sign_free_ag_2013_06_17.html |archive-date=21 June 2013}}
=WNBA career statistics=
{{WNBA player statistics legend}}
==Regular season==
{{WNBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Detroit
| 32 || 32 || 29.9 || .474 || .000 || .682 || 10.4 || 0.8 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 2.47 || 10.8
|-
| align="left" | 2004
| align="left" | Detroit
| 31 || 31 || 29.4 || .411 || .000 || .589 || 9.6 || 1.1 || 1.3 || 0.8 || 1.74 || 10.6
|-
| align="left" | 2005
| align="left" | Detroit
| 33 || 33 || 28.2 || .430 || .000 || .487 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|9.8° || 0.8 || 1.0 || 1.4 || 2.09 || 9.5
|-
| align="left" | 2006
| align="left" | Detroit
| 32 || 32 || 28.7 || .498 || .000 || .648 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|11.3° || 1.4 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 1.81 || 13.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007
| align="left" | Detroit
| 15 || 15 || 30.7 || .497 || .000 || .639 || 11.2 || 1.5 || 1.9 || 0.7 || 2.80 || 13.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008
| align="left" | Detroit
| 24 || 24 || 26.5 || .481 || .000 || .560 || 8.7 || 0.9 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 0.96 || 10.1
|-
| align="left" | 2009
| align="left" | Detroit
| 29 || 29 || 26.0 || .427 || .000 || .550 || 7.4 || 0.9 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 1.69 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |7 years, 1 team
| 196 || 196 || 28.4 || .457 || .000 || .595 || 9.7 || 1.0 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 1.91 || 10.8
{{end}}
== Playoffs ==
{{WNBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Detroit
| 8 || 8 || 29.0 || .324 || .000 || .826 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|10.0° || 0.5 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 1.25 || 8.4
|-
| align="left" | 2004
| align="left" | Detroit
| 3 || 3 || 37.0 || .447 || .000 || .636 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|10.7° || 0.3 || 1.3 || 2.3 || 2.67 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | 2005
| align="left" | Detroit
| 2 || 2 || 24.5 || .444 || .000 || .600 || 7.0 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 1.50 || 9.5
|-
| align="left" | 2006
| align="left" | Detroit
| 10 || 10 || 28.7 || .523 || .000 || .750 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|10.3° || 1.2 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 1.90 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007
| align="left" | Detroit
| 10 || 8 || 22.8 || .415 || .000 || .455 || 9.2 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 1.40 || 6.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009
| align="left" | Detroit
| 5 || 5 || 29.6 || .448 || .000 || .813 || 10.0 || 1.2 || 1.4 || 0.2 || 3.60 || 7.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |6 years, 1 team
| 38 || 36 || 27.8 || .433 || .000 || .684 || 9.8 || 0.8 || 1.1 || 0.7 || 1.89 || 9.9
{{end}}
National team career
Ford was named to the National team representing the USA at the 2006 World Championships, held in Barueri and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The team won eight of their nine contests, but the lone loss came in the semifinal medal round to Russia. The USA beat Brazil in the final game to earn the bronze medal. Ford averaged 3.4 points per game.
References
{{reflist|refs=
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External links
- [http://www.wnba.com/player/cheryl-ford/ WNBA profile] at WNBA.com
- [https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/f/fordch01w.html WNBA statistics] at Basketball-Reference.com
{{navboxes|list=
{{WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award}}
{{WNBA Rookies of the Year}}
{{2003 WNBA draft}}
{{WNBA rebounding leaders}}
{{Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}
{{Detroit Shock}}
{{Detroit Shock 2003 WNBA champions}}
{{Detroit Shock 2006 WNBA champions}}
{{Detroit Shock 2008 WNBA champions}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Cheryl}}
Category:American women's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Louisiana
Category:Detroit Shock players
Category:Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball players
Category:People from Homer, Louisiana
Category:United States women's national basketball team players