Kayte Christensen

Kayte Christensen was a fan favorite both on and off the court throughout her WNBA career.

As a professional athlete, one of her top priorities was to give back to her fans and community. For her efforts, she was awarded the offseason WNBA Community Assist Award in 2003 and 2004. During the offseason, she stayed in her team’s market to work with local schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and other community organizations.

Additionally on an international scale, Christensen conducted a series of training camps for Palestinian youths and coaches as part of the “Shooting Stars Basketball Camp,” July of 2010, in Ramallah and Bethlehem. The Basketball Camp is a joint-program coordinated between the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Palestinian National Committee of Summer Camps (NCSC). Approximately 200 Palestinian children from Ramallah and Bethlehem participated in the training sessions. The camps promote confidence, self-esteem, team-building and respect among participants, in addition to promoting mutual understanding between Americans and Palestinians.

In December 2010, she traveled to Dakar, Senegal for two weeks during the World Festival of Black Arts and Culture. While in Senegal, she helped organize four basketball clinics that hosted over 200 local boys and girls. In addition to working with the local children, she met with the US Delegation and spoke on behalf of the NBA and WNBA’s experiences in Africa and efforts to make a positive impact in the community.

Christensen came to the Chicago Sky as a free agent after her second tour of duty with the Phoenix Mercury. In 2007, she helped keep the Sky in contention for a playoff spot throughout the season with some quality minutes off the bench. Christensen started seven of the 23 games in which she played, averaging just over two points and nearly two rebounds per game. Due to a back injury, she was released from the Sky during the 2008 season.

Prior to joining the Sky, she began her career playing four seasons in the desert as a member of the Phoenix Mercury. She enjoyed a career year in her second season in the league, starting 16 games and averaging nearly seven points. She opened the 2006 campaign with the Houston Comets after signing as a free agent, but rejoined the Mercury later in the year when she was waived by Houston.

A graduate of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), Christensen averaged 14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a senior and was named Big West Conference Player of the Year and All-Big West First Team.

In her offseasons, she has played internationally in Turkey, South Korea, Russia and Greece.

Christensen is currently a journalist for ESPN.