Carson & Laney Ready For WNBA Playoffs

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Two former Rutgers women's basketball Scarlet Knights are heading to the WNBA playoffs this week. Essence Carson and the Los Angeles Sparks meet the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, Aug. 21, while Betnijah Laney and the Connecticut Sun begin second round action on Thursday, Aug. 23.

The Sparks and Lynx meet up in first round action after taking on each other in the 2016 and 2017 WNBA Finals with Los Angeles hoisting the trophy in 2016. Carson, in her 11th season in the WNBA and third with Los Angeles, is currently averaging 7.5 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Sparks, who went 19-15 during the regular season. The single elimination contest between Los Angeles and Minnesota will take place at 10:30 p.m. (ET) at the Staples Center on Tuesday night on ESPN2. The Sun, meanwhile, await their opponent as teams will be re-seeded after first round play. Connecticut earned the first round bye after playing to a 21-13 record. Laney, in her third season in the WNBA and first with the Sun, has come off the bench to average 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest. The Rutgers women's basketball team boasted seven former student-athletes on WNBA rosters this summer and all together has had 20 Scarlet Knights selected in a WNBA draft. Five Scarlet Knights have won WNBA championships. In addition to Carson's 2016 title, other Scarlet Knights to win a WNBA championship include Chelsea Newton (Sacramento - 2005), Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix - 2007 & 2009) and Tammy Sutton-Brown (Indiana - 2012).