Bridget Carleton (born May 22, 1997) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for SERCO UNI Győr in the EuroLeague.[1] She played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones and competed internationally with the Canada national team.[2]
![]() Carleton in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 – Minnesota Lynx | ||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Small forward | |||||||||||||||||
League | WNBA | |||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
Born | Chatham, Ontario, Canada | May 22, 1997|||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 179 lb (81 kg) | |||||||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||||||
High school | John McGregor Secondary School (Chatham, Ontario) | |||||||||||||||||
College | Iowa State (2015–2019) | |||||||||||||||||
WNBA draft | 2019: 2nd round, 21st overall pick | |||||||||||||||||
Selected by the Connecticut Sun | ||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2019–present | |||||||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Connecticut Sun | |||||||||||||||||
2019–present | Minnesota Lynx | |||||||||||||||||
2019–2020 | Townsville Fire | |||||||||||||||||
2023-present | SERCO UNI Győr | |||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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She participated at the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.[3]
On March 14, 2019, Carleton was named second-team All-American by ESPN.[4]
In her career playing at Iowa State University, she finished 2nd in the Cyclones' records for career scoring with 2,142 points. She ranks third in three areas: field goals with 713, steals with 211, and blocked shots with 124.[5]
Iowa State statistics
Source[6]
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015–16 | Iowa State | 27 | 323 | 33.7% | 32.9% | 80.5% | 6.7 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 12.0 |
2016–17 | Iowa State | 31 | 465 | 39.5% | 34.1% | 93.9% | 5.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 15.0 |
2017–18 | Iowa State | 31 | 594 | 38.7% | 33.0% | 82.5% | 6.5 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 19.2 |
2018–19 | Iowa State | 35 | 760 | 46.8% | 37.1% | 86.1% | 8.6 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 21.7 |
Career | 124 | 2142 | 40.5% | 34.3% | 85.7% | 7.0 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 17.3 |
Canadian national team
Carleton first played for Team Canada at the 2013 U16 FIBA Americas. She was named team captain, led the squad in minutes, and helped Canada to a silver medal. She also was a part of the U17 Ontario Team, which won Gold at the 2013 Canada Games. Carleton also played with the junior team that won silver at the U18 FIBA Americas.
Carleton joined the Senior National Team in 2016 and played in some exhibition games. She was a part of the 2017 squad that defended their gold medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup tournament. In 2018, she helped Canada to a 7th-place finish at the FIBA World Cup, as well in 2019, winning silver at the FIBA AmeriCup.[7]
On June 29, Carleton was named to the 2020 Canadian National Team that competed at the 2020 Olympics. This marks the first time in her career that she will compete at the Olympics.[8][9]
She represented Canada in February 2024, at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Sopron, Hungary. She averaged 14 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game. Her efficiency per game was 12.[10]
WNBA
Connecticut Sun (2019)
Carleton was drafted in the Second Round of the 2019 WNBA draft – 21st Overall – by the Connecticut Sun. She ultimately made the Opening Day Roster,[11] but was later released after just four games.[12]
Minnesota Lynx (2019–present)
On August 22, Carleton signed a 7-day contract with the Minnesota Lynx,[13] followed by a contract for the remainder of the 2019 season.[14]
Carleton made the Lynx roster for the 2020 season,[15] and became a key part of the team – filling in for the injured Sylvia Fowles. Carleton became the third WNBA player in history to score 25 or more points and have more than five rebounds in her first WNBA start in the August 5, 2020, game for the Minnesota Lynx against the New York Liberty. She scored 25 points, had seven rebounds and three assists.[16] Carleton started in place of Sylvia Fowles, who was out with a calf injury.
International career
On November, 2023 Carleton signed with Hungarian team SERCO UNI Győr in the EuroLeague to play in 2023 after the completion of the WNBA season.[17] On January 17, 2024 she netted 41 points against KGHM BC Polkowice and her amazing perimeter play contributed to her racking up a stellar performance efficiency valuation of 47 after also adding 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Since the 1996-97 season, it was the third highest behind Lara Mandic in 2002 who dropped 42 and modern day leader Victoria Bullet who scored a jaw-dropping 48 points for T.M.C Ahena Cesena in 1996.[18]
WNBA career statistics
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 best | ° | League leader |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Connecticut | 4 | 0 | 7.3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
2019 | Minnesota | 4 | 0 | 2.8 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
2020 | Minnesota | 22 | 15 | 25.8 | .520 | .457 | .647 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 6.6 |
2021 | Minnesota | 32 | 10 | 19.3 | .401 | .365 | .800 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 4.8 |
2022 | Minnesota | 36 | 2 | 16.8 | .403 | .354 | .731 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 4.3 |
2023 | Minnesota | 38 | 4 | 15.1 | .345 | .337 | .733 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.2 |
Career | 5 years, 2 teams | 136 | 31 | 17.7 | .408 | .366 | .719 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 4.3 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Minnesota | 4 | 3 | 29.5 | .500 | .538 | .000 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 6.3 |
2021 | Minnesota | 1 | 0 | 15.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2023 | Minnesota | 3 | 0 | 24.0 | .600 | .444 | .750 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 8.3 |
Career | 3 years, 1 team | 8 | 3 | 25.6 | .514 | .500 | .750 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 6.3 |
EuroLeague
Year[19] | Team | GP | MPG | PPG | PTS | RPG | APG | FGM-FGA | FG% | 3PM-3PA | 3P% | FTM-FTA | FT% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023-24 | SERCO UNI Győr | 8 | 35.8 | 17 | 136 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 5.8-13.8 | 41.8 | 2.8-6.9 | 40 | 2.8-3.5 | 78.6 |
References
- ^ "Bridget CARLETON at the EuroLeague Women 2023-24".
- ^ Eurobasket.com profile[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bridget CARLETON at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
- ^ "Women's college basketball All-Americans 2019". 14 March 2019.
- ^ Tommy Birch (2020-03-09). "'It's a dream come true': Former Iowa State star Bridget Carleton prepping for Olympic run". Des Moines Register.
- ^ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
- ^ "Bridget Carleton". olympic.ca. Team Canada. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ Birch, Tommy. "Former Iowa State star Bridget Carleton selected for Canada basketball Olympic team". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "Bridget Carleton makes Olympic debut in Canada's 72-68 loss to Serbia". weareiowa.com. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^ "FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Hungary 2024".
- ^ Birch, Tommy. "Former Iowa State star Bridget Carleton earns roster spot on WNBA's Connecticut Sun". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ Heavren, Natalie (4 July 2019). "Connecticut Sun claim Natisha Hiedeman, waive Bridget Carleton". High Post Hoops. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ Gardner, Hayes. "Women's basketball: Bridget Carleton signs 7-day contract with Minnesota". The Ames Tribune. Archived from the original on 2019-09-21. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ^ "Minnesota Lynx Sign Bridget Carleton For The Remainder Of The WNBA Season". Chatham-Kent Sports Network. 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ^ Stuve, Sam. "Former Iowa State forward Bridget Carleton earns spot on the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx 2020 roster". Iowa State Daily. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Carleton Only Third Player In WNBA History To Score 25+ And 5+ Rebounds In First Start". Chatham-Kent Sports Network. 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
- ^ "Jól érzi magát Győrben Bridget Carleton – WBASKET". 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Where does Carleton's 41-point display rank in modern history of EuroLeague Women?".
- ^ "Bridget CARLETON at the EuroLeague Women 2023-24".
External links
- Bridget Carleton instagram
- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- Bridget Carleton at FIBA
- Iowa State Cyclones bio
- Bridget Carleton on X