Erlana Larkins

Erlana La'Nay Larkins (born April 2, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.

Erlana Larkins
Larkins in 2018
Free Agent
PositionPower forward
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1986-04-02) April 2, 1986
West Palm Beach, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolThe Benjamin School
(North Palm Beach, Florida)
CollegeNorth Carolina (2004–2008)
WNBA draft2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the New York Liberty
Playing career2008–present
Career history
2008–2009New York Liberty
2008–2009Samsun Basketbol
2009–2013Mersin BŞB
2012–2017Indiana Fever
2013–2014Jiangsu Phoenix
2014Famila Schio
2014–2015Adana ASKİ
2018Minnesota Lynx
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Women's Basketball
Representing USA
U18 and U19
2004 MayaguezTeam Competition
2005 TunisTeam Competition
Pan American Games
2007 Brazil Team Competition

High school

Larkins played for The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida, where she was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored four points.[1] She is the school's all-time leading scorer with over 3,000 career points.

USA basketball

Larkins was a member of the USA Women's U18 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The event was held in August 2004, when the USA team defeated Puerto Rico to win the championship. Larkins helped the team win the gold medal, scoring 9.0 points per game and recording eleven steals during the event.[2]

She continued on as the U18 team became the USA Women's U19 team which competed in the 2005 U19 World Championships in Tunis, Tunisia. The USA team won all eight games, winning the gold medal. Larkins hit eight out of nine field goals attempts in the opening round game against South Korea. In the gold medal game, she was a perfect nine for nine, scoring 20 points.[3]

Larkins played for the USA team in the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team won all five games, earning the Gold Medal for the event.[4]

College career

Larkins played college basketball at the University of North Carolina for the Tar Heels. She made the all-ACC first team in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and was the ACC Tournament MVP in 2008. She was an AP All-American in 2007 (third team) and 2008 (second team), in addition to being named to the State Farm and USBWA All-American teams in 2008. She played in two Final Fours while playing for the Tar Heels, where she was selected to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team in 2006.

North Carolina statistics

Source[5]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004-05 North Carolina 34 496 60.9% 0.0% 82.2% 7.1 1.6 2.1 1.1 14.6
2005-06 North Carolina 35 482 56.8% 44.4% 70.2% 7.2 2.5 2.2 1.0 13.8
2006-07 North Carolina 37 476 56.7% 0.0% 67.9% 9.4 2.8 2.2 0.5 12.9
2007-08 North Carolina 35 473 52.7% 0.0% 60.1% 9.5 3.1 1.9 0.6 13.5
Career 141 1927 56.7% 22.2% 69.5% 8.3 2.5 2.1 0.8 13.7

Professional career

WNBA

Larkins was drafted 14th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2008 WNBA Draft. In her rookie season, she averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.7 rpg off the bench. In 2010, Larkins was waived by the Liberty. During her three-year absence from the WNBA she played overseas in Turkey for Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi. In 2011, Larkins had signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury but was waived before the start of the season.

In 2012, Larkins signed with the Indiana Fever. In her first season with the Fever, she averaged 4.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg as a reserve. The Fever finished second place in the Eastern Conference with a 22-12 record. During the playoffs, Larkins was put in the starting lineup at the four spot and was effective for the Fever with her scoring and rebounding, nearly averaging a double-double (9.9 ppg and 10.9 rpg). The Fever would eventually end up winning the 2012 WNBA Championship after they defeated the Minnesota Lynx 3-1 in the Finals. During the series, Larkins had tied the second-most total for rebounds in a WNBA Finals game when she grabbed 15 rebounds in Game 1.[6]

The following season, Larkins became the starting power forward for the Fever and averaged 7.9 ppg as well as 7.8 rpg. In 2014, Larkins re-signed with the Fever.[7] During the 2014 season, Larkins put up career-best averages of 9.7 ppg and 9.2 rpg (ranked fourth in the league). She had also led the league in field goal percentage, shooting 59%.[8]

In the 2015 season, Larkins missed several games due to a knee injury and played 21 games with only 3 starts, but was able to start again for the Fever during the playoffs.[9] The Fever had advanced all the way to the Finals for a rematch with the Lynx but lost the series 3-2.

In the 2016 season, Larkins was healthy again after undergoing surgery on her knee. She started in 33 games, averaging 8.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg. She also achieved a career-high in field goal percentage, shooting 63% which was ranked second in the league. The Fever made it to the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round elimination game by the Phoenix Mercury.

In 2017, Larkins re-signed with the Fever once again in free agency.[10] During the 2017 season, Larkins started in 17 of the 34 games played, with her role reduced from the starting center and her minutes cut. The Fever finished with a disappointing 9-25 record and 11th place in the league.

On May 17, 2018, Larkins was waived by the Fever before the 2018 WNBA season.[11] On July 12, 2018, Larkins signed a 7-day contract with the Minnesota Lynx. On July 19, 2018, Larkins signed a second 7-day contract with the Lynx.[12] On July 30, 2018, Larkins signed with the Lynx for the rest of the season.[13] The Lynx finished 18-16 with the number 7 seed in the league, but Larkins would receive no playing time in the postseason. The Lynx lost the first round elimination game to the Los Angeles Sparks 75-68.

On February 28, 2019, Larkins re-signed with the Lynx in free agency.[14]

On May 22, 2019, Larkins was waived by the Lynx.[15]

Overseas

In the 2008-09 WNBA off-season, Larkins played in Turkey for Samsun B.K.. From 2009 to 2013, Larkins played four off-seasons for Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi. In the first portion of the 2013-14 WNBA off-season, Larkins played in China for the Jiangsu Phoenix and played the rest of the off-season in Italy for Famila Schio. In the 2014-15 WNBA off-season, Larkins played in Turkey for Adana ASKİ SK.

WNBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career high ° League leader
† Denotes seasons in which Larkins won a WNBA championship

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2008 New York 27012.4.511.000.5892.70.70.30.21.34.8
2009 New York 1807.6.424.000.6961.70.40.50.20.82.4
2012† Indiana 34215.5.509.000.8614.41.11.00.11.04.1
2013 Indiana 343430.1.545.000.7087.81.91.40.31.37.9
2014 Indiana 333331.6.599.000.7169.22.51.90.82.29.7
2015 Indiana 21316.8.407.000.6844.21.30.90.10.73.5
2016 Indiana 333326.7.639.000.8847.42.10.90.41.68.3
2017 Indiana 341718.8.581.000.9124.21.10.50.21.24.9
2018 Minnesota 13012.9.444.0001.0002.71.30.60.10.62.1
Career 9 years, 3 teams 24712220.7.554.000.7495.41.51.00.31.35.9

Postseason
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2008 New York 6014.5.458.000.4004.80.20.50.11.34.3
2012† Indiana 10932.0.542.000.77810.91.20.70.81.89.9
2013 Indiana 4433.5.567.0001.00010.31.30.21.52.510.8
2014 Indiana 5535.3.531.000.73310.41.81.20.61.49.0
2015 Indiana 111028.3.569.000.8137.21.41.00.51.87.2
2016 Indiana 1127.9.545.000.0006.01.00.00.02.012.0
Career 6 years, 2 teams 372928.6.542.000.7538.51.20.80.71.88.2

Notes
  1. "WBCA High School All-America Game Box Scores". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved 29 Jun 2014.
  2. "FIFTH WOMEN'S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING TEAM -- 2004". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved 8 Feb 2014.
  3. "SIXTH FIBA WOMEN'S U19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP -- 2005". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved 16 Oct 2013.
  4. "Fifteenth Pan American Games -- 2007". USA Basketball. November 19, 2010. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  5. "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  6. "Just how good was Erlana Larkins in Game One?". Swish Appeal. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  7. "Indiana Fever re-sign top rebounder Erlana Larkins". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  8. "Erlana Larkins - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  9. "Erlana Larkins Undergoes Surgery - Women's Basketball 24.7". Women's Basketball 24.7. November 3, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  10. "Indiana Fever re-sign unrestricted free agent Erlana Larkins and guard Erica Wheeler". Hoopfeed.com. February 1, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  11. Larkins Waived By Fever
  12. WNBA Transactions
  13. Lynx Sign Erlana Larkins For Remainder Of 2018 Season
  14. Lynx re-sign Erlana Larkins, add Kelsey Griffin
  15. Lynx Waive Forward Erlana Larkins
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