Teaira McCowan
Height: 6-7
Position: Center
Age: 24/25 – birthday September 28
Years Pro: 2
College: Mississippi State
Drafted: By Indiana, first round, 2019 WNBA Draft (3rd overall)
Overview: The third-year center had the most dominant season of her career in 2021. McCowan averaged 11.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game, which were all career-bests. McCowan set a new franchise record with 308 rebounds after previously owning the old franchise high, 305, from her rookie season in 2019. She was able to reclaim this milestone in two less games than in 2019. McCowan’s pace of 774 rebounds in 88 career games (8.79 rpg) through three seasons is better than current VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager Tamika Catchings’ pace of 796 rebounds in 100 games (7.96 rpg) in her first three WNBA seasons. McCowan ended the 2021 season as already the fifth leading rebounder in franchise history. McCowan was the third leading rebounder, fifth leading shot blocker and eighth in field goal percentage at 53.7 percent in the WNBA.
Notable Performances:
May 14: In the season opener at the New York Liberty, McCowan and Jantel Lavender became the first pair of Fever teammates to collect at least seven offensive rebounds in the same game in franchise history. McCowan’s 22 points were a season-high on a career-best 10 made field goals, to go along with 16 rebounds.
May 21: McCowan became the eighth player in WNBA history to reach 500 rebounds in their first 60 career games against the Atlanta Dream. The 60 games also made McCowan the fastest in franchise history to reach the rebounding plateau, which was previously held by Tamika Catchings, who reached 500 rebounds in 61 career games.
August 28: Lining up against one of the best frontcourts in the WNBA, McCowan set a new career-high seven assists against the Las Vegas Aces.
August 31: McCowan tied a career-high 19 rebounds in a win against the Los Angeles Sparks. As a team, LA only managed to corral 20 rebounds in the game.
September 4: Against the Phoenix Mercury in the 82nd game of her WNBA career, McCowan became the second player, along with Catchings again, in Fever history to record 100 blocks within her first 100 career games.
September 19: In the season finale and with only six players available against the Chicago Sky, McCowan set the new franchise-high with 308 rebounds.