Background
Brunson was born in Washington, District of Columbia
Brunson was born in Washington, District of Columbia
And attended Oxfordshire Hill High School in Maryland. Brunson graduated from Georgetown in 2004 as its women"s basketball program"s all-time leading rebounder. The Sacramento Monarchs chose Brunson in the 1st round of the 2004 Women's National Basketball Association Draft as the tenth overall pick.
Brunson played for the Georgetown University women"s basketball team in college. She also played on the United States. team in the 2003 Pan American Games. Source
She played in Sacramento for six seasons and contributed to the Monarchs" 2005 Women's National Basketball Association Championship victory.
She led the league in offensive rebounds per game (39) and total offensive rebounds (130) for the 2007 regular season.
After the Monarchs suspended operations in the fall of 2009, the Minnesota Lynx acquired Brunson in a dispersal draft. She was later named to the 2011 Women's National Basketball Association All-Star game, and started in place of an injured Candace Parker.
Brunson led the Lynx in field goal percentage and rebounds in a year where the team had the best record in the Women's National Basketball Association. She was honored with her first appearance on the Women's National Basketball Association All-Defensive First Team. She had earned second-team honors three previous times.
Brunson again made the All-Star Game, starting in place of the injured Brittney Griner.
Brunson set the career mark for rebounds in the Finals, with 130, breaking the record held by former teammate Taj McWilliams-Franklin. She also broke McWilliams-Franklin"s record for Finals games played, with 19. During Women's National Basketball Association offseasons, Brunson has played for Taranto, an Italian professional basketball team, for the Dynamo team based in Russia, and Dexia Namur, a professional club in Belgium, and for Nadezhda team based in Orenburg, Russia.
She is currently playing with Dynamo Kursk, along with Lynx teammate Seimone Augustus.
Brunson was named to the team representing the United States of America at the 2003 Pan American Games. They then faced Cuba for the gold medal, falling short 75–64 to take home the silver medal.
Brunson shot 57% from the field, and ended up as the leading scorer as well as the leading rebounder for the United States of America team Brunson was one of 21 finalists for the 2012 United States. Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster.
The 20 professional women"s basketball payers, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the Women's National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the United States of America at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Brunson established and manages the 32 Foundation (named for her jersey number), which sponsors academic and athletic opportunities for youth in the metropolitan District of Columbia area.
In 2011, Brunson tied a Women's National Basketball Association record with six consecutive double-doubles, and was named Women's National Basketball Association Player of the Month for June, the first member of the Lynx to be so honored.