Marquesha Davis
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 2001)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Marquesha Davis
| image =
| alt =
| number = 1
| team = New York Liberty
| position = Guard
| league = WNBA
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|5|29}}
| birth_place = McGehee, Arkansas, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb =
| high_school = Springdale High School
(Springdale, Arkansas)
| college = Arkansas (2019–2021)
Ole Miss (2022–2024)
| draft_year = 2024
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 11
| draft_team = New York Liberty
| draft_league = WNBA
| career_start = 2024
| years1 = {{WNBA Year|2024}}–present
| team1 = New York Liberty
| years2 = 2024–2025
| team2 = Shandong Six Stars
| highlights =
- WNBA champion (2024)
- First-team All-SEC (2024)
| bbr_wnba = davisma05w
}}
Marquesha Davis (born May 29, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ole Miss Rebels.
Early life
Davis was born on May 29, 2001, and grew up in the small town of McGehee, Arkansas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnba.com/draft/2024/prospects/183481/marquesha-davis|publisher=Women's National Basketball Association|title=Marquesha Davis}} She first played basketball in third grade and later was a standout performer at Springdale High School.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2017/jan/30/basketball-springdale-s-davis-quietly-s-20170130/|newspaper=Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|title=Springdale High's Davis quietly setting herself apart|date=January 30, 2017|author=Bordelon, Scottie}} She had scored over 1,000 career points by her junior year at Springdale and was a multi-year selection to the all-state team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/ncaa/university-of-arkansas/razorback-basketball/springdales-marquesha-davis-signs-with-arkansas/527-0683e795-87c4-4af3-9c2a-64c2e0ce3bff|publisher=KFSM-TV|title=Springdale’s Davis Highlights Arkansas Women’s Signing Class|date=November 18, 2018|author=Scaglione, Andrew}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/nov/15/prep-basketball-davis-signs-with-arkans/|newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|title=Davis signs with Arkansas|date=November 15, 2018|author=Souza, Chip}} She committed to play college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks following her junior season. She then averaged over 21 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior and was named first-team All-USA Arkansas Girls Basketball.{{Cite web|url=https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/marquesha-davis/|publisher=Arkansas Razorbacks|title=Marquesha Davis}}
College career
Davis played three seasons at Arkansas and saw limited playing time, averaging 2.5 points in the 2019–20 season, 4.6 points in the 2020–21 season, and 5.9 points in the 2021–22 season. She started a total of only one game in her tenure there.{{Cite news|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2024/04/15/marquesha-davis-wnba-draft-new-york-liberty-ole-miss-womens-basketball/73327816007/|newspaper=Clarion-Ledger|title=Ole Miss women's basketball's Marquesha Davis selected by New York Liberty in 2024 WNBA Draft|date=April 15, 2024|author=Eckert, David}} After appearing in seven games, one as a starter, during the 2021–22 season, Davis entered the NCAA transfer portal and transferred to the Ole Miss Rebels in December 2021.{{Cite news|url=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/2021/12/20/former-arkansas-guard-headed-to-ole-miss/|newspaper=USA Today|title=Former Arkansas guard headed to Ole Miss|date=December 20, 2021|author=Wayne, E.}}
Davis immediately saw significant playing time at Ole Miss, averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds for the team in the 2022–23 season while helping them reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. She then scored 14 points per game in 2023–24, including double figures in 25 games, and was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference while helping the Rebels reach their third-consecutive NCAA Tournament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.localmemphis.com/article/sports/ncaa/ole-miss-rebels/ole-miss-alum-marquesha-davis-selected-in-first-round-of-wnba-draft/522-57e681a6-af78-46dc-8782-b5df60c0a27f|publisher=WATN-TV|title=Ole Miss alum Marquesha Davis selected in first round of WNBA Draft|author=Braxton, Avery|date=April 15, 2024}}{{Cite news |last=Katz |first=Michael |date=15 April 2024 |title=Ole Miss' Marquesha Davis drafted by New York Liberty in first round of 2024 WNBA Draft |url=https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/ole-miss/ole-miss-marquesha-davis-drafted-by-new-york-liberty-in-first-round-of-2024-wnba/article_3da089d0-fb81-11ee-b46f-233fa8a58263.html |access-date=2025-06-03 |work=Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal}} She ended her Ole Miss career having started 59-of-67 games and scored over 1,000 points, with an average of 12.2 points per game.
Professional career
=WNBA=
==New York Liberty (2024–present)==
Davis was one of 15 players invited to attend the 2024 WNBA draft.{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/article/ole-miss-star-marquesha-davis-one-of-15-players-invited-to-personally-appear-at-tonights-wnba-draft-230474805/|website=247Sports|title=Ole Miss star Marquesha Davis one of 15 players invited to personally appear at tonight's WNBA Draft|date=April 15, 2024|author=Johnson, David}} She was selected in the first round of the draft – 11th overall – by the New York Liberty.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/04/15/liberty-select-marquesha-davis-with-no-11-pick-in-wnba-draft/|newspaper=New York Daily News|title=Liberty select Ole Miss’ Marquesha Davis, Arizona’s Esmery Martinez in 2024 WNBA Draft |author=Frimpong, Fiifi|date=April 15, 2024}} On a championship-contending Liberty team, Davis saw limited playing time in her rookie season, appearing in 20 regular season games and averaging 4.0 minutes per game. In the playoffs, she appeared in one game for three minutes, as the Liberty claimed their first franchise championship.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-21 |title=Family of New York Liberty’s Marquesha Davis celebrate the Arkansas native’s WNBA championship |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/family-york-liberty-marquesha-davis-234346942.html |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}}
=Overseas=
Davis signed with the Shandong Six Stars of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association for the 2024–2025 season.{{Cite web |last=Horell |first=Myke |date=2024-11-06 |title=WCBA Update: Find out if your WNBA favorites are playing in China |url=https://www.swishappeal.com/2024/11/6/24288505/fiba-wnba-women-bball-china-wcba-jonquel-jones-liz-cambage-nalyssa-kamilla-chennedy-kelsey-mitchell |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Swish Appeal |language=en}}
Career statistics
| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 92%; white-space: nowrap;"
|+ Legend |
| style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" | GP
| Games played | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | GS | Games started | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | MPG | Minutes per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" | FG% | Field goal percentage | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage |
| style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | FT%
| Free throw percentage | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" | RPG | Rebounds per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | APG | Assists per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | SPG | Steals per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" | BPG | Blocks per game |
| style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | TO
| Turnovers per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | PPG | Points per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | Bold | Career high | style="background-color: #D3D3D3; border: 1px solid black" | ° | League leader | style="background-color: #E0CEF2; border: 1px solid black" | ‡ | WNBA record |
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|†
|Denotes season(s) in which Davis won a WNBA championship |
=WNBA=
==Regular season==
Stats current through end of 2024 season
{{WNBA player statistics start|caption=WNBA regular season statistics{{cite web |title=Marquesha Davis WNBA Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/d/davisma05w.html |website=Basketball Reference}}}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|2024†
| align=left | New York
| 20 || 0 || 4.0 || .409 || 1.000 || .714 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 1.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| align=left | Career
| align=left | 1 year, 1 team
| 20 || 0 || 4.0 || .409 || 1.000 || .714 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 1.2
{{s-end}}
==Playoffs==
{{WNBA player statistics start|caption=WNBA playoff statistics}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|2024†
| align=left | New York
|1||0||3.0||.500||style="background:#D3D3D3;"|1.000°||—||2.0||2.0||0.0||0.0||0.0||3.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| align=left | Career
| align=left | 1 year, 1 team
|1||0||3.0||.500||1.000||—||2.0||2.0||0.0||0.0||0.0||3.0
{{s-end}}
=College=
{{WNBA player statistics start|caption=NCAA statistics{{cite web |title=Marquesha Davis College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/marquesha-davis-1.html|work=Sports Reference |access-date=June 15, 2024}}}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20
| style="text-align:left;"| Arkansas
| 18 || 0 || 8.5 || .356 || .143 || .458 || 2.1 || 0.3 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 0.8 || 2.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21
| style="text-align:left;"| Arkansas
| 26 || 0 || 11.8 || .453 || .300 || .750 || 2.1 || 0.4 || 0.8 || 0.2 || 0.5 || 4.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22
| style="text-align:left;"| Arkansas
| 7 || 1 || 12.1 || .424 || .167 || .667 || 2.4 || 0.6 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 0.6 || 5.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23
| style="text-align:left;"| Ole Miss
| 34 || 26 || 22.7 || .457 || .273 || .700 || 4.8 || 0.8 || 0.9 || 0.2 || 1.6 || 10.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24
| style="text-align:left;"| Ole Miss
| 33 || 33 || 27.1 || .447 || .239 || .687 || 4.7 || 1.2 || 1.5 || 0.7 || 1.7 || 14.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan=2; style="text-align:center;"| Career
| 118 || 60 || 18.7 || .445 || .246 || .679 || 3.6 || 0.7 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 1.2 || 8.7
|}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{New York Liberty current roster}}
{{New York Liberty 2024 WNBA champions}}
{{2024 WNBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Marquesha}}
Category:Basketball players from Arkansas
Category:People from McGehee, Arkansas
Category:Springdale High School alumni
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball players
Category:Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball players
Category:New York Liberty draft picks
Category:New York Liberty players