SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Former Syracuse women's basketball players Vaida Sipaviciute and Fantasia Goodwin signed training camp contracts with the Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association. Both were signed as unrestricted free agents.
Sipaviciute and Goodwin join Julie McBride, Leigh Aziz and Beth Record as SU alumnae that have at one time been members of WNBA rosters. McBride signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Sky of the WNBA in 2006, Aziz signed as a free agent with the Indiana Fever in 2003 and Record was the second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001.
Sipaviciute played in 116 career games for the Orange. She started 95 contests, including the last 65. Her 234 blocks put her second on Syracuse's career list and her 1,180 career-points rank 11th all-time at SU. Sipaviciute's 500 field goals rank seventh and she also eighth all-time in field-goal percentage (.480). Sipaviciute recorded 10 double-doubles during career including a 41-point, 21-rebound performance during her sophomore season. She is only player in Syracuse history to lead the Orange in blocks four consecutive seasons.
Goodwin recorded a team best nine double-doubles in 2007-08. Her 25-rebound performance against St. Peter's on December 22 was a SU single-game school record. Goodwin is tied for third on Syracuse's all-time rebounding average (7.9) list and 10th on SU's all-time scoring (12.2) list. She amassed 2,388 points during her collegiate career at Syracuse and Monroe College. Goodwin finished fifth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (48th in the country), tied for fifth in defensive rebounds and sixth in offensive rebounds. She was also sixth in BIG EAST in field goal percentage (36th in the country) and 26th in scoring.
Los Angeles opens its exhibition season at Atlanta on Saturday, May 3 and the Detroit begins play on Monday, May 12 at San Antonio.