The WNBA has rediscovered HBCUs.

Jackson State University sensation Ameshya Williams-Holliday has become the first HBCU athlete in 20 years to be selected in the WNBA draft.

Her name was called April 11 by the Indiana Fever in the third round with the 25th overall selection at Springs Studio in New York.

The 6-foot-4 center from Gulfport, Miss., averaged 19.2 points, 11.4 re- bounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game this past season while helping the Jackson State Lady Tigers to

the SWAC title. Jackson State’s season ended with an 83-77 first round loss in the NCAA Tournament to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The Lady Tigers finished 23-7 overall, including 18-0 against SWAC opponents.

Williams-Holliday was a three-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and, as a senior, added the overall SWAC Player of the Year Aaward to her list of honors.

She became the first SWAC female player to win both Defensive and overall Player of the Year titles in the same season.

There is a local angle to the very first pick of the WNBA draft.

The No. 1 overall selection, Rhyne Howard of the University of Kentucky, was the teammate of Jada Walker of Richmond-area connections. Howard was drafted by the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

The 6-foot-2 Howard, from Cleveland, Tenn., averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and four steals for the Kentucky Wildcats, while hitting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.

Catching the eyes of WNBA scouts, Howard enjoyed one of her best games in Kentucky’s upset win over the University of South Carolina in the SEC finals. South Carolina went on to win the NCAA Tournament title.

Walker, a freshman guard, averaged 10.4 points while starting 22 of 31 games for Kentucky. She played locally for Highland Springs and Henrico High Schools, and is the daughter of Johnathan Walker, a former Virginia Union University standout, and AnneMarie Gilbert, the former VUU women’s basketball coach.