Seattle Storm sign free agent Shavonte Zellous

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT- May 7: Shavonte Zellous #1 of the New York Liberty in action during the Dallas Wings Vs New York Liberty, WNBA pre season game at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 7, 2018 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT- May 7: Shavonte Zellous #1 of the New York Liberty in action during the Dallas Wings Vs New York Liberty, WNBA pre season game at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 7, 2018 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Former Liberty guard joins the champs

With the draft in the rearview mirror, WNBA teams now turn back to trades and free agents to fill the gaps in their rosters. The 2018 champion Seattle Storm wasted no time. On Thursday, the team announced that they had signed another former champ, free agent guard Shavonte Zellous.

“Shavonte is a true competitor and a strong defender in this league,” Alisha Valavanis, the CEO and GM of the Storm, said in the team’s press release. “She brings experience and value on both sides of the ball, making her a great addition to this roster.”

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Over her 10-year career in the WNBA, Zellous has averaged 9.4 points per game on 40 percent shooting. She adds 2.8 rebounds, and her 2.0 assists and 1.5 turnovers per game give her 1.33 assists per turnover.

Zellous burst onto the scene in 2009. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh, she became Detroit’s pick at No. 11 in the WNBA Draft. Her rookie year, she put up 11.9 points per game while gathering 3.1 rebounds and dishing out 1.8 assists. That led to her selection for the All-Rookie Team.

The next year, she was sent to the Indiana Fever in a trade. It turned out well for her. In 2012, she became a WNBA champion as the Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx in four games. Zellous led all scorers with 30 points in Game 3, putting her team up 2-1 in the series.

She followed that up by being named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player and an Eastern Conference All-Star in 2013.

Zellous has spent the last three years playing for the New York Liberty, where she helped the team finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2016 and 2017. Last year, she suffered an injury on July 19 and played in just 22 games. The team struggled to a 7-27 record.

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