Saturday, July 27th, 2024

Erika Valek | 1994-1998 | Coronado High School | Girl's Basketball

Erika Valek has had an illustrious basketball career, which began at Coronado High School in 1997. As a point guard, Valek was named four-time All-Area, four-time All-District, and four-time All-Region. She was also named three-time 1st Team All-State selection.

Her many other high school accolades include being named to Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s West Texas All-Century Team, being ranked as the number one point guard in the nation by Women’s Basketball News Service & All-Star Girls Report, ranked number four overall prospect by All-Star Girls Report, and number 23 in the nation by Blue Star. She was a NIKE/WBCA All-American, First Team Parade All-American and Second Team USA Today All-American.

After graduating high school, Valek continued on to play basketball at Purdue University. She finished the 2000-01 season ranked in the Top Ten in steals (3rd), assists (5th), and 3-point field goals (8th) on the school Freshman Leaders List. During the 2001-02 season she scored in all 30 games that she started, reaching double figures 7 times. In 2002-03 she was named to the 1st Team All Big Ten by the Coaches, and 2nd Team All Big Ten by the Media. Valek averaged 14 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and ranked second in the Big Ten in steals. She was a NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team pick.

In 2003-04, her final season at Purdue, she won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the Best Women’s College Basketball Player Under 5’8.” Valek had started in all 131 games of her collegiate career, with 1219 total points scored. She was drafted into the WNBA in the second round by the Detroit Shock and traded to the Phoenix Mercury.

Valek began her overseas professional basketball career in 2004 with the Kastoria Basketball Club in Greece. She would go on to play for the Botas Basketball Club in Turkey, as well as clubs in Zamora, Spain, Solna, Sweden, and Uppsala, Sweden. During this time, she was also playing in numerous professional competitions. She finished out her career at the FIBA South American Championship for Women with Club Estancia, leading the team to the silver medal in Quito, Ecuador. Her final season was playing in the Colombian Women’s Basketball Professional League for Club Pabor in Neiva, Colombia.
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