La'Keisha Sutton (born November 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Harlem Globetrotters. She played four seasons of college basketball for the University of South Carolina under coach Dawn Staley before playing professional basketball overseas and joining the Harlem Globetrotters.

La'Keisha Sutton
No. 17 – Harlem Globetrotters
PositionPoint guard
Personal information
Born (1990-11-18) November 18, 1990 (age 34)
Trenton, New Jersey
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Career information
High schoolTrenton Catholic Academy
(Hamilton, New Jersey)
CollegeSouth Carolina (2008–2012)
Playing career2012–present
Number11, 23, 17
Career history
20132013Williams Jones Cup (Taiwan)
20132015Turi Riento (Finland)
20142014UTE (Ecuador)
20142015Saarlouis Royals (Germany)
20162016Beroe Stara Zagora (Bulgaria)
2018—presentHarlem Globetrotters

Early life

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Sutton was born and raised Trenton, New Jersey.[1] She grew up in Roger Gardens and Prospect Village, near where she spent a lot of time playing basketball as a kid at the West Ward Recreation Center. In middle school she got a scholarship to attend Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, NJ.[2]

High school and college career

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Sutton attended Trenton Catholic Academy where she played four years while being coached by Khaliq Lewis El. Her senior year she was awarded the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, Trenton Times Player of the Year and Trentonian Player of the Year. She averaged 19.6 points per game and was a four-time all-county first-team selection and twice earned All-State honors from the Associated Press. She was named MVP of the 2008 New Jersey State Championship game after leading her team to its second-straight title.[3] Sutton scored 1,965 points during her career at Trenton Catholic Academy.[4]

Sutton was Dawn Staley's first South Carolina Gamecock recruit in 2008 where she helped lead South Carolina to their first ever Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2012.[5][1] She scored nearly 1,300 points over her four-year career and graduated in 2012 with a degree in broadcast communications.[6] She earned the nickname Fan Favorite in college.[7] Upon leaving college she became a WNBA prospect.[8]

SOUTH CAROLINA STATISTICS
Season G FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA REB AST STL BL PTS AVG
2008-09 28 108 263 77 114 15 36 56 68 36 5 308 11.0
2009-10 29 109 273 49 86 15 37 68 74 25 4 282 9.7
2010-11 33 128 314 68 112 13 55 88 118 47 4 337 10.2
2011-12 32 122 327 68 89 24 88 91 84 40 9 336 10.5
TOTALS 122 467 1177 262 401 67 216 303 344 148 22 1263 10.4

Professional career

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Sutton played professional basketball overseas in Taiwan, Finland, Ecuador, Germany, and Bulgaria before joining the Harlem Globetrotters in 2018.[9] She is the ninth woman to play for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters as Swish Sutton.[10][11][12][13][14] She is also the first female Harlem Globetrotter from New Jersey.[15]

Sutton is also the author of From The Projects To Fan Favorite: Made In Trenton.[9][1]

Community

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Sutton hosted a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for 20 middle school students, during Brunswick Avenue Day in Trenton, New Jersey.[16] She donated 50 basketballs as a Globetrotter to the West Ward Center in Trenton.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "NIKE Sports Camps". www.ussportscamps.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  2. ^ Rollins, Chris. "One of The Harlem Globetrotters is from Trenton". 94.5 PST. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  3. ^ Sutton, La'Keisha (19 December 2011). "La'Keisha Sutton - Women's Basketball". University of South Carolina Athletics. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  4. ^ "Luncheon to spotlight 50 Trenton Catholic Academy, McCorristin High stars". nj. 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  5. ^ "The State - Staley's first Carolina recruit". The State.
  6. ^ "Former Gamecock La'Keisha Sutton builds her own brand". SEC Sports. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  7. ^ Day, Cassandra (2019-08-15). "Globetrotter La'Keisha Sutton coming to Middletown to 'Ball Like A Girl'". The Middletown Press. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  8. ^ "WNBA.com: Prospect: La'Keisha Sutton". WNBA. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  9. ^ a b "Harlem Globetrotter wows Wichita". The Wichita Eagle.
  10. ^ Sutton, Swish. "Swish". Harlem Globetrotters. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  11. ^ "TuRi 2013–2014". Koripallo.com keskustelu (in Finnish). Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  12. ^ "USA National Team News". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  13. ^ "El Telegrafo". El Telegrafo.
  14. ^ Zeitung, Saarbrücker. "Das Multitalent mit großen Träumen". Saarbrücker Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  15. ^ a b Bulletin, Community (2019-08-01). "Harlem Globetrotter La'Keisha Sutton is donating basketballs to her local Trenton recreation center". NJ. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  16. ^ Trentonian. "La'Keisha Sutton helps Trenton Health Team kick off summer of events". The Trentonian. Retrieved 2020-05-25.