Seimone Augustus - Weight Loss Surgery Baton Rouge

Seimone Delicia Augustus (born April 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Minnesota Lynx, Dynamo Kursk and the US national team. A five-time all-star, Augustus has become one of the most recognizable faces in the WNBA, earning MVP honors while leading the Lynx to the 2011 WNBA championship, the first of two that she has won with the team.

Early life

Augustus was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; she is the daughter of Seymore and Kim Augustus.

High school

Before her freshman year in high school, Augustus was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Women, with a headline that asked, "Is She the Next Michael Jordan?" Augustus played for Capitol High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2002 WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored fourteen points, and earned MVP honors.

College years

During her collegiate career with the LSU Lady Tigers, the two-time All-American won the Naismith College Player of the Year, Wooden Award and Wade Trophy in 2005 and 2006 while leading the LSU to three straight Final Four appearances. The Lady Tigers however, never advanced beyond the semi-final round. She averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game in her collegiate career. During her final year, she won the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, recognizing her as the nation's top senior women's basketball player. Augustus graduated from Louisiana State University in 2006. Her uniform number (33) was retired by LSU on January 9, 2010, making her the first female athlete in school history to receive that honor.

WNBA career

2006-2008: Personal Success, Team Failure

Augustus was drafted No. 1 overall in 2006 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Selected as a reserve for the 2006 WNBA All Star Game at Madison Square Garden, Augustus led the West squad with 16 points and won the Skills Competition the previous evening.

Augustus finished 2006 second to the Mercury's Diana Taurasi in scoring at 21.9 points per game, a rookie record. Only one player (Taurasi 2006), scored more points in a single season. In addition, she finished fifth in free throw percentage (.897). On August 20, Augustus was named the 2006 WNBA Rookie of the Year.

The former LSU star improved to 22.6 points per game in 2007, while shooting nearly 51% from the field. An All Star for the second straight year, Augustus finished second to Seattle's Lauren Jackson in scoring average and played in all 34 games. The Lynx however, finished 10-24 tied with Los Angeles Sparks for the league's worst record.

2009-2010: Injuries

In June 2009, Seimone suffered a season-ending injury, a torn ACL, against the Phoenix Mercury.

Augustus's return in 2010 was derailed by medical issues as well, as she was forced to undergo surgery to remove fibroid tumors, including one the size of a baby's head. Augustus had attempted to postpone surgery until after the season, but the pain was too difficult to play through. Despite the setback, Augustus returned to play the final 25 games of the season.

2011-present: A Dynasty in the Making

Augustus was finally back to full strength in 2011, and a part of a potent Lynx team that included newly acquired rookie Maya Moore. Augustus led the team in scoring and served as the team's lead defender as the Lynx rolled to the best record in the WNBA and team history. Augustus also made her first all-star game since 2007. She finished eighth in MVP voting, and was named Second Team All-WNBA for the third time in her career, and the first since 2007.

Augustus elevated her game in the playoffs. She led the Lynx in scoring in five of their eight games, and scored the second-highest number of points in WNBA Finals history - 36 - in game two of the 2011 WNBA Finals. The Lynx swept the Atlanta Dream in the title round, with Augustus being unanimously named Finals MVP.

The Lynx were not a flash in the pan; they would return to the finals the next two seasons, losing to the Indiana Fever in 2012, and defeating Atlanta again in 2013. Augustus continued to earn accolades during this time. She was named first-team all-WNBA in 2012, and voted an all-star-game starter in 2013.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Overseas career

In the 2006-07 and 2007-08 WNBA off seasons, she played for the Dynamo Moscow club in Russia.

During the 2008-09 WNBA offseason, Augustus played in the EuroCup for Galatasaray, a club based in Turkey.

Awards and achievements

• 2004--Winner of the Honda Sports Award for basketball
• 2005--Winner of the Honda Sports Award for basketball
• 2007-08 Turkish Presidents Cup Winner with Galatasaray
• 2008-09 FIBA Eurocup Winner with Galatasaray
• 2008-09 FIBA Eurocup MVP with Galatasaray

International career

Augustus is a current member of the U.S. women's basketball team and she earned a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games: Beijing 2008.

Augustus was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009. The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team traveled to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they competed in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.

Augustus was one of 21 finalists for the U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball payers, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London. Augustus was ultimately selected to the team, along with Lynx teammates Moore and Whalen.

Personal life

In April 2010, Augustus had surgery at Fairview Southdale Hospital to remove fibroids, a surgery that both her mother and grandmother had undergone. While her uterus was removed during the operation, her ovaries were left intact, making children via a gestational surrogate possible. She has said that she wants children someday.

Augustus is openly lesbian. She is currently engaged to LaTaya Varner as of May 2012, and plans to marry her after the 2013 season.

Augustus is the cousin of former Mississippi State power forward, Kodi Augustus.

References

External links

• Seimone Augustus at WNBA.com
• Seimone Augustus at Basketball-Reference.com
• Seimone Augustus on Myspace
• Seimone Augustus on Twitter
• Seimone Augustus official site, hosted by LSU Athletics
• USA Basketball bio
• Seimone's bio at usolympicteam.com
• Seimone Augustus Profile Galatasaray.org
• Profile at tbl.org.tr
• Seimone's Story: WNBA Phenom Part 1,Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V
• WNBA 2006 Draft Prospectus

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