By Jacob Gurvis
Potomac native Abby Meyers, a Maccabiah Games gold medalist and former University of Maryland basketball star, was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Wings in the first round of the WNBA Draft on Monday night, Apr. 10.
Meyers, who was involved with Jewish life on campus at College Park, helped her squad make the Elite 8 at this year’s NCAA tournament. She averaged 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Last month, Meyers, 23, told the JTA global Jewish news source that she felt supported by Jewish Maryland fans. “There’s an amazing following of Jewish students who come to my games, who support me and love the fact that I’m Jewish,” she said.
College Park has one of the largest populations of Jewish students in the country, at around 6,000.
Meyers, who she grew up attending Washington Hebrew Congregation, also led Maccabi USA to a gold medal at the “Jewish Olympics” last summer. The Maccabiah Games is a quadrennial sports competition that convenes thousands of Jewish athletes from around the world for an Olympics-style tournament in Israel.
“I see myself as a female Jewish athlete, and I think it really came to fruition this past summer when I went to the Maccabiah Games in Israel and was able to play alongside so many amazing, talented Jewish athletes from all over the world,” Meyers said. “That was different for me, because I’ve never been around so many Jewish athletes before.”
Meyers, who had never been to Israel, said the experience was “by far the most fun I’ve ever had.”
“It’s way more than just basketball. It’s really learning about your history, your ancestry and just appreciating all things Jewish,” she said.
In addition to winning the gold medal, Meyers said her visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem stood out to her. “To be there, in Jerusalem in that moment, it was really just a reflective moment,” Meyers said. “It made me just appreciate the opportunity I had to represent my country being a Jewish athlete, and to also have that opportunity to be there, in person, to be safe, to be healthy, and to just appreciate those who came before me.”
Meyers had told JTA her goal was to play in the WNBA, although she was also open to playing professionally in Israel.
Meyers heads to Dallas, which is home to a Jewish population of around 60,000, as the WNBA’s next Jewish star. She follows in the footsteps of all-time great Sue Bird, who retired last year after a long and decorated career.
At College Park, Meyers wasn’t surrounded by many Jewish players on the court. But she appreciates the opportunity to explain concepts such as synagogue, Hebrew school and the Holocaust to non-Jewish teammates.
“I’m always happy and proud to be able to not educate, but to inform them on what it’s like to be Jewish,” she said. “There’s plenty of Jewish stereotypes out there, whether it’s looks, or that we’re just hardworking go-getters, which I love, because we are. But it’s special to have that kind of interaction with them where they’re open and willing listeners and learners.”
On a humorous sidenote, when announcing Meyers’ selection by the Dallas Wings, ESPN reported she is six-foot-10. In actuality, Meyers is six feet tall.
Jacob Gurvis is the audience engagement editor of the JTA global Jewish news source. Jmore staff contributed to this report.
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