Michele Van Gorp

Michele Van Gorp

Center
Born	May 10, 1977 (1977-05-10) Mount Clemens, Detroit,MI, U.S.
Nationality	USA
Height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
High school	Clinton Charter Township, Michigan
College	Purdue University Duke University
Draft	2nd round, 18th overall, 1999 Portland Fire
WNBA Teams
New York Liberty (1999) Portland Fire (2000) Minnesota Lynx (2001–2004)
Awards and Honors
See Honors and Awards below for further details

Michele Van Gorp (born May 10, 1977 in Warren, Michigan) is a former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), most recently with the Minnesota Lynx.

Early career

After attending Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township, Michigan, Van Gorp played collegiate basketball at Purdue University during her freshman and sophomore years, but transferred to Duke University alongside Nicole Erickson for her junior and senior years. She was the tallest woman to suit up in a Duke uniform. She led Duke to the school's first NCAA final, which took place in San Jose. She was inducted to the school's Hall of Fame in 2002.

Basketball career

The first Duke student athlete to be selected in the WNBA's draft in 1999, she was selected in the second round, being the 18th overall pick. Van Gorp was traded to Portland after her rookie season, where she improved her personal averages and gained confidence in her game. After only one year with the Portland Fire she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx alongside Lynn Pride. With the Lynx, Van Gorp gained recognition as one of the league's toughest defenders and an effective weapon to help "shut down" Margo Dydek.

She missed most of the 2004 season due to a stress fracture in her left foot that occurred during a practice session. Surgeons had to insert a screw into the navicular bone of her foot. Van Gorp's contract with the Lynx had expired after the 2004 WNBA season ended, but she was still too injured to play for the 2005 season.[1]

International career

She has played in Europe for the following teams:

• Panathinaikos (1999) - Won the Rochetti Cup
• Parma (2000)
• CJM Bourges (2000) - Euroleague winner
• Dynamo Moscow (2003)
• Ros Casares Valencia (2004)

After WNBA

According to a December 1, 2005, news article from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Van Gorp filed a medical malpractice lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court against a member of the Lynx's medical staff and three other parties. The suit named Dr. Joel Boyd, the team's orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Fernando Pena; Fairview-University Medical Center; and Orthopaedic Center as defendants. Van Gorp was reported to be seeking at least $50,000 for negligence and loss of employment.

After leaving the WNBA, Van Gorp was reported to be the assistant coach of Glens Falls, New York high school girls basketball team.^{[citation needed]} In June 2007, Colgate University in upstate New York announced that Van Gorp had been appointed as an assistant coach of its women's basketball team.[2]. As of 2008 Michele Van Gorp was signed by the French Team Nantes- Reze for the 2008-2009 season .

Var Gorp is openly lesbian and lives with her spouse in Vermont.

External links

• WNBA.com: Michele Van Gorp Player Info
• LYNX: Michele Van Gorp: A Key Component
• December 1, 2005 Minneapolis Star-Tribune report on Van Gorp's lawsuit