1. LaToya Antoinette Sanders, known as Lara Sanders in Turkey, is an American-Turkish professional basketball coach and former player.
23 Facts About LaToya Sanders
1. 2.
LaToya Sanders currently serves as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association.
3.
LaToya Sanders played for seven seasons in the WNBA with the Mercury, Minnesota Lynx, Los Angeles Sparks, and Washington Mystics.
4.
LaToya Sanders was born in Nuremberg, Germany, where her parents were stationed in the Army.
5.
LaToya Sanders is the daughter of Reece and Sharon Pringle and has a younger sister named Shanice.
6.
LaToya Sanders is married to former UNC men's basketball player Byron LaToya Sanders.
7.
LaToya Sanders was named North Carolina's Miss Basketball for Class 4-A in her junior and senior years.
8.
LaToya Sanders led Seventy-First to state titles in 2003 and 2004, winning tournament MVP honors on both occasions.
9.
LaToya Sanders set a state championship record with 28 rebounds in the 2003 title game.
10.
LaToya Sanders averaged 21.5 points, 14.2 rebounds and nine blocks in her senior season.
11.
LaToya Sanders played in 30 games and ranked fifth in the ACC with 1.5 blocks per game.
12.
LaToya Sanders started all 38 games for the Tar Heels, establishing a school record for games started and games played in a season.
13.
LaToya Sanders registered a block in every game and five or more on eight occasions.
14.
LaToya Sanders was drafted in the first round of the 2008 WNBA draft with the 13th overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury.
15.
LaToya Sanders averaged 13 minutes, 4.4 points, and 3.5 rebounds per game.
16.
LaToya Sanders played in 17 games for the Lynx and averaged 9.4 minutes, 2.2 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game.
17.
In February 2010, LaToya Sanders signed with the Los Angeles Sparks.
18.
LaToya Sanders signed with the Sparks for the 2011 season and made the roster, playing in 20 games and averaging 11.1 minutes, 3.9 points, and 2.4 rebounds per game.
19.
LaToya Sanders returned to the WNBA for the 2015 season, signing with the Washington Mystics, who had held her rights since a trade in 2012.
20.
In June 2020, LaToya Sanders announced that she would forgo the 2020 WNBA season, played in the Wubble, due to concerns of racism and the coronavirus.
21.
On March 8,2021, LaToya Sanders announced her retirement from professional basketball.
22.
LaToya Sanders obtained Turkish citizenship in 2012, adopting the name Lara LaToya Sanders.
23.
On January 6,2025, LaToya Sanders was announced as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Dream.