Background
Rodgers was born in Suffolk, Virginia to Barbara Mae Rodgers and Oscar Allen Saunders, Junior. in 1989.
Rodgers was born in Suffolk, Virginia to Barbara Mae Rodgers and Oscar Allen Saunders, Junior. in 1989.
She graduated with her school"s records in career points, assists, rebounds and blocks.
Rodgers is a guard, and played her college ball for the Georgetown Hoyas. A prolific three-point shooter, Rodgers was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in part to fill the void created by the trade of Candice Wiggins. At Georgetown, she was the school"s all-time scoring leader, with 2,518 points, and the team"s all-time steals leader, with 326, as well as holding the team record for 3-point field goals made.
She was a four-time All Big East First Team pick, and was drafted by the Lynx in the second round as the 14th overall pick.
At the 2007 Amateur Athletic Union Nike Nationals, Sugar didn"t start, but played in every game as for the Suffolk Blazers, and was named the tournament"s Most Valuable Player. Sugar"s mother, who had played basketball herself at Booker T. Washington High School, died in 2005 from lupus, and her father died in July 2012. Rodgers was recruited to the Georgetown Hoyas in part through her play on the Amateur Athletic Union Suffolk Blazers, who were coached by Boo Williams, the brother of Georgetown head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy.
That year she led the team to new heights, propelling them into the national rankings for the first time in fifteen years, and helping the team to just its second National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament invitation. In her four years, she amassed 2,518 points to become the leading scorer all-time at Georgetown on either the men"s or women"s team
The leading scorer on the men"s team, Sleepy Floyd had only 2,304 points, while Patrick Ewing had 2,184.
Rodgers was selected 2nd in the 2nd round of the 2013 Women's National Basketball Association Draft as the 14th overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx. She made the team out of training camp, and made her professional debut on June 1, 2013, in a victory over the Connecticut Sun. Rodgers has logged the most minutes of the three rookies on the team, earning playing time thanks to aggressive defense and hustle.
During the Women's National Basketball Association off season, Rodgers joined the Arras team in France.
She was traded to the New York Liberty prior to the 2014 season.
Rodgers played basketball for her high school team at King"s Fork High School, where she became the school"s Most Valuable Player all four years, conference Player of the Year three times, as well as a McDonald"s All-American. Rodgers excelled early at Georgetown, and was named 2010 Big East Rookie of the Year, as well as First Team All-Big East, a feat she repeated all four years. In her sophomore year, she led the team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association"s Sweet Sixteen with an upset win over rival Maryland, before losing to UConn. She was a three-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, and majored in English.
