Whatever Happened to Madinah Slaise?

Probably the only picture of Madinah Slaise on the Internet.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's hope that 2009 will be a huge year of celebration with a playoff spot! I'm a little late getting around to blogging, since I spent most of yesterday evening at the Chick-Fil-A Bowl watching LSU whip Georgia Tech, 38-3. Unfortunately, I don't believe in leaving a game early no matter how much of a blowout it is.

I'm still looking at examining individual WNBA seasons. Today's Person of Interest is Madinah Slaise. Madinah had the second-highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in 2000, with a rating of 30.76. Sheryl Swoopes, the eventual MVP of the WNBA in 2000, had a score of 31.83.

Slaise was a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Shock in 2008, the 28th overall pick. This was the first year of the bloated 16-team WNBA. Slaise was a 5'8" graduate from Cincinnati.

So what happened to Slaise? Slaise signed a contract in 2001 to play for the Bordeaux team in the LFB France. The University of Cincinnati reports that she played in Israel. But after that, the trail grows cold. She played three games with the Shock, for a total of seven minutes played. She attempted three field goals, going 0-for-3, but went 4-for-4 at the free throw line with a rebound and a steal.

At least two players - in different athletic fields - listed Madinah Slaise as an inspiration. The first was Dawn Hoosier of the 2000 Cincinnati Bearcats, a fellow teammate. The other was Latisha Perry-Guinn, a wide receiver on the D. C. Divas, who also played for the Bearcats in 2000.

There is a Madinah Slaise listed as a runner in a 10K race in Fayetteville, NC. It's definitely an uncommon name, so one could argue that it's the same person. But if it is, she's keeping a very low profile.

Wherever you are, Madinah, best of luck to you.