McGee-Stafford to forego 2 WNBA seasons to pursue law degree

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Dallas Wings center Imani McGee-Stafford will forego the next two WNBA seasons to pursue a law degree.

McGee-Stafford said through the Wings on Monday that she has been accepted into a program at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles that features an accelerated law school curriculum.

The 6-foot-7 center was drafted 10th overall out of Texas by Chicago in the 2016 WNBA draft. She was traded to Atlanta during the 2017 season and then dealt to the Wings before the 2019 season. The 25-year-old California native was also playing for the Perth Lynx in a women's professional league in Australia.

“While I am saddened to step away from such a big part of my life, I'm also excited for this next chapter," McGee-Stafford said, also expressing her thanks to Wings officials for being understanding and supportive of her decision.

Greg Bibb, the president and CEO of the Wings, said the team supports her decision to step away from the WNBA “in order to achieve a long-time goal.”

McGee-Stafford averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds a game for the Wings last season, when she started six of her 29 games. She has played in 121 WNBA games averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds a game over the past four seasons.