Quick Facts
Biography
Naketia "Ketia" Marie Swanier (born August 10, 1986) is an American professional basketball player born in Columbus, Georgia. She most recently played the guard position for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA.
College career
Swanier was the only freshman to open the season as UConn's starting point guard. She finished her career as the only player in UConn history to rank among the top 10 career leaders in games played, assists and steals. Swanier won the inaugural Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award as a senior coming off the bench behind Renee Montgomery.
Connecticut statistics
Source
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Connecticut | 31 | 78 | 42.1 | 25.0 | 43.8 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 | - | 2.5 |
| 2005-06 | Connecticut | 37 | 139 | 47.4 | 26.5 | 62.9 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.8 | - | 3.8 |
| 2006-07 | Connecticut | 36 | 189 | 48.1 | 27.3 | 82.8 | 2.2 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
| 2007-08 | Connecticut | 38 | 268 | 43.9 | 37.5 | 72.4 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 7.1 |
| Career | Connecticut | 142 | 674 | 45.5 | 32.1 | 67.9 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 4.7 |
WNBA career
Swanier was selected 12th overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2008 WNBA Draft. She played in 25 of 34 possible games, with 6 starts. She ranked 14th in the league in steals per 40 minutes (2.24). On June 1 Swanier was waived by the Connecticut Sun because of the 11-woman roster cuts. The next day she was signed by the Phoenix Mercury.
Overseas career
She is currently playing for Rybnik in Poland during the 2008–09 WNBA off-season.
Ketia4Kidz
In 2008, she founded her own foundation called Ketia4kidz. Her foundation benefits kids of military children. Ketia is an 18 year military brat. Both of her parents Cornell and Rosie Swanier were in the military while Ketia was growing up.
Ketia4Kidz Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)3 non profit organization created to provide tangible support to the children of deployed and severely injured active duty military service members of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Foundation will provide enrichment activities and tutoring that nurture and sustain the children during the time a parent[s] is away in service to our country. The Foundation intends to promote excellence in academics to all school age children on worldwide military installations. The Foundation will seek to foster opportunities for college scholarships through enhancing and strengthening participation in local military communities youth recreation programs.
The Foundation will concentrate its educational and outreach activities on military installations and in local military communities most directly affected by worldwide deployments. Resources will be directed toward military and veteran organizations that work principally with these groups through volunteers.
The Foundation will also conduct educational and outreach activities through its primary creator, Ketia Swanier. She will provide time, knowledge, valuable experience and guidance through mentoring programs to meet the foundations mission. These programs will include visits to Military Installations, Hospitals and Fisher Houses that house wounded soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. Activities will include motivating children to achieve their goals and dreams by promoting excellence in academics and sports related programs. These programs will include reading, study skills, life skills and goal setting.
The Foundation will fund its educational and outreach activities with the financial assistance of government grants, foundations, individual donors and corporate donations. [1]