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2010-11 Women's Basketball Roster

Spears-Brittany.jpg
Jersey Number 22

Brittany Spears

  • Position:
    Forward
  • Height:
    6-1
  • Class:
    Senior
  • Hometown:
    Pasadena, Calif.
  • High School:
    Pasadena/Notre Dame Prep [Mass

Career: Colorado's all-time leading scorer with 2,185 points, Brittany Spears is prominent in nearly every team career statistical category. She started all 127 games of her career, a school record, plus she is CU's all-time leader in field-goal attempts (1,889), double-figure scoring games (111) and overall starts. Spears' name can be found in 18 career Colorado top 10 lists, including the above plus ranking second in minutes played (4,202), scoring average (17.2 ppg), field-goals made (796) and 3-point attempts (699), third in blocked shots (156) and 3-pointers made (237), fourth in rebounds (997) and double-doubles (31), fifth in games played (127), seventh in steals (237) and rebounding average (7.9 rpg), eighth in free-throws made (356) and ninth in free-throw attempts (445) and steals average (1.9 spg). She is also 14th in free-throw percentage (.800). Additionally her 2,185 points rank seventh on the Big 12 Conference's all-time list while she also ranks sixth in field-goal attempts, seventh in field-goals made, ninth in 3-point attempts, 11th in starts and 12th in rebounds on the league's career charts. Spears is second player in team history score 500 or more points in three consecutive seasons (2008-11), joining former teammate Jackie McFarland (2005-08) and is also the second to score 400 points in four consecutive seasons (Shelley Sheetz, 1991-95). She was presented as the Female Career Athletic Achievement Award winner at the 2011 CUSPY's. Spears was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft. 

2010-11 (Senior): Spears led Colorado at 19.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while also topping the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (81) and blocks (40) and was second in steals (61). A 2011 All-Big 12 first team pick, she registered double-figures in 32-of-34 games this season and scored 20 or more points 18 times. Her 32 double-figure games tied her with Jackie McFarland (2007-08) and Lisa Van Goor (1980-81) for the second most on the team single-season charts. Spears led the Big 12 in defensive rebounds (6.0 drpg) while also ranking third in scoring and overall rebounding, fourth in 3-pointers (2.4 3mpg) and double-doubles (9), fifth in free-throw percentage (.830), 10th in steals (1.8 spg) and 11th in blocked shots (1.2 bpg).

She scored 21 points in the Big 12 Championship first round game against Kansas and in the process moved past Van Goor (1980-85) for the program's all-time lead in scoring. Spears, who finished with 2,185 career points, passed Van Goor on a conventional 3-point play early in the second half. She tied Van Goor's 26-year old mark of  2,067 with a driving layup in the paint at the 17:04 mark, was fouled, and then scored point No. 2,068 with the ensuing free throw.

She saved her best for the season's final stretch averaging 24.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals over her final nine games in which CU enjoyed a 6-3 mark. Spears averaged 27.5 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 51 percent from the field in four Postseason WNIT games, helping the Buffaloes reach the quarterfinals. She went out with a bang, tying her own career high with 36 points in her final collegiate game.  Her 36-point outburst over USC was the second highest postseason total in team history, and tops in WNIT play. Her performance tied her career high (vs. UMass on Nov. 28, 2008) and tied for the third-best overall single-game performance in team history. Her performance was a team season high for points and overall her fourth career 30-point performance. The 36 points against USC was on the heels of a 33-point effort in the second round win over California. Spears' other 30-point game was a 34-point performance in an 80-79 overtime win at Missouri on Feb. 23, 2010.

Her 652 points this season were the second most in team history and her 19.2 per game average is just a fraction behind Jamillah Lang's 1993-94 single-season record. (19.219 to 19.176). She set CU's single season record for 3-point attempts with 234 and also finished second in 3-point field goals made (81) and overall field goals attempted (590), fourth in field goals made (239), eighth in minutes (1,093) and 12th in rebounds (277). Spears was named to the 2010-11 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List and was given honorable mention to the 2010-11 Preseason All-Big 12 team.

2009-10 (Junior): Topped Colorado for the second-straight season in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg) and for the third year in a row in steals (64). Earned honorable mention to the 2010 All-Big 12 Conference team as she ranked third in steals (2.1 spg), fourth in scoring, fifth in rebounding, defensive rebounds (5.5 drpg) and free-throw percentage (.837), eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.357), 10th in 3-point field-goals made (1.8 3mpg), 12th in blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and 14th in offensive rebounds (2.3 orpg). Scored double digits in 25 of 30 games and notched 20 or more points in 12 contests. She has recorded double-digits in scoring in 56 of her last 63 games and 79 of 93 career outings. Her 531 points in 2009-10 was the ninth-best total in team history, and fourth-best by a junior. With her 530 points from 2008-09, she becomes just the fourth player in team history to score 500 or more points in back-to-back seasons, joining Lisa Van Goor (1980-82), Tera Bjorklund (2002-04) and Jackie McFarland (2005-08). Spears had her most accurate season behind the arc and from the free-throw line, connecting on 55-of-154 3-point attempts (.357) and 108-of-129 free-throw attempts (.837). She scored a team-season high 34 points in the overtime win at Missouri (2/23), just two of her career best (36 vs. UMass on Nov. 28, 2008). Her 34 points tie for the seventh-best single-game performance in team history and joins Jasmina Ilic as the only players to score 34 or more points twice during their careers. Spears was the Big 12 Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 23, her fifth career Big 12 weekly honor, and first as Player of the Week. She earned that honor after averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds in the two-game Minnesota Subway Classic, where she was also selected to the All-Tournament team. Spears was also MVP of CU's Omni Hotels Classic as she averaged 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in wins over Georgia Southern (11/27) and Harvard (11/28). She had seven double-digit rebounding games, which corresponded to her team-high seven double-doubles, including a career-high tying 14 in the season opening win over UC Irvine (11/15).

2008-09 (Sophomore): Spears led Colorado by averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game as she was named to the 2009 All-Big 12 Conference second team. There was no sophomore slump for Spears as she ranked among the Big 12's best in most statistical categories. She ranked second in minutes (35.4 mpg), third in scoring, fourth in defensive rebounds (6.0 drpg), seventh in overall rebounding, eighth in steals and 3-point percentage (.328), ninth in blocks, 10th in field-goal percentage (.434), 12th in 3-pointers made (1.5 3pg), and 14th in free-throw percentage (.721). Her numbers in conference only contests were equally as impressive as she ranked third in scoring (17.5 ppg), steals (2.3 spg) and defensive rebounds (6.4 drpg), seventh in overall rebounding (7.8 rpg) and ninth in blocks (1.1 bpg). Spears' 18.3 point average stands as the sixth-best single-season mark in team history and her 530 points ranked as the ninth. Her 199 field goals rank 12th on CU's single-season chart. Spears became just the second player in team history - joining CU Athletic Hall of Famer Lisa Van Goor - to reach 1,000 career points by the end of her sophomore season. Overall she was the 22nd Buff to reach 1,000, and the second fastest (63 games). She is the fifth player in CU history to score 400 points in her first two seasons in Boulder and the fourth to do it in freshman-sophomore campaigns (Debbie Descano scored 400 as a junior and senior after transferring to CU after her sophomore year). Spears had 12 games with 20 or more points and logged eight double-doubles, five of which came during Big 12 play. She had the highest individual scoring output in the Big 12 in 2008-09, notching 36 against UMass in the first round of the Coors Classic, a Classic record and tying for the thid best total in team history (Jasmina Ilic also had 36 against Nebraska on Jan. 4, 2006). She was named the MVP of the Paradise Classic averaging 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks over the two game tournament. She averaged 26 points in the two games of the Coors Classic, earning All-Tournament honors. Spears was a true "Iron Woman" as her 35.4 minutes per game were the sixth most in one season for the Buffaloes. She played all 40 minutes in a three-game stretch starting with the game at Missouri (1/24), becoming the first player to play 40 or more in three straight since Mandy Nightingale in 2000. In all she played 172 consecutive minutes over five games (Oklahoma on 1/21 to Kansas on 2/4). She played all 40 minutes in six games and at least 37 minutes in nine others. She was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year and Lisa Van Goor Rebounding Award winner.

2007-08 (Freshman): Spears had one of the greatest freshman seasons in team history, starting in all 34 games, ranking second on the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game and rebounding at 7.6 per contest behind All-Big 12 forward Jackie McFarland. She was named to the All-Big 12 Rookie team - a first for a CU player in the three year existence of the team which is voted on by league coaches - and earned honorable mention to the All-Big 12 squad. Spears was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week four times in the regular season, becoming the first CU player to earn four Big 12 weekly honors in the same season. She was the first player in team history to record 50 assists, 50 blocks and 50 steals in the same season and just the second to reach 40 in all categories (Raegan Scott did it in 1995-96 and 1996-97). Spears is the fourth different player, and second freshman, in team history to accomplish 450 points and 250 rebounds. She is second in scoring (472), tied with Erin Scholz (1993-94) for second in blocks (52), third in rebounds (259) and fifth in steals (57) on CU's all-time freshman charts. On CU's overall single-season ledger her numbers tied for sixth in minutes (1,118), seventh in blocks, 11th in 3-pointers (57), 17th in points and 18th in rebounds. Spears was first among freshmen in the Big 12 in scoring, rebounding and blocks and was second in steals (1.7 spg), third in free-throw percentage (.817) and fourth in assists (1.9 apg). Overall she was fourth in defensive rebounds (5.8 rpg), seventh in blocks, eighth in overall rebounding, ninth in 3-point percentage (.312), 11th in 3-pointers made (1.7 3mpg) and field-goal percentage (.425) and 13th in steals and points. She had seven double-doubles as a freshman, with the last coming in a 22-point, 10-rebound effort against Gonzaga in the second round of the postseason WNIT. Spears averaged 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds during WNIT play. She scored 24 points in her Big 12 debut at Missouri (1/9). It was the second-best output by a Buff in her conference opener, trailing only the 25 scored by CU Athletic Hall of Famer Shelley Sheetz at Nebraska in 1992. She started her collegiate career off with a bang, scoring 15 points to go with seven rebounds and five steals at San Francisco (11/16). She was named the team's Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She was also cited as CU Athletics' Female Rookie of the Year at the annual CUSPY Awards.

High School: Spears was a 2006 graduate of Pasadena High School and spent the 2006-07 academic year at Notre Dame Prep School in Fitchburg, Mass. She was a two-time Pacific League and Pasadena Star-News Player of the Year for Pasadena High School. A 2006 All-CIF Southern Section Division I-A first team pick, Spears averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as a senior guiding Pasadena to its first league title since 1991 and a spot in the CIF Southern Section semifinals. She averaged 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game as a junior, leading the Pacific League in scoring and blocked shots and ranked third scoring and fifth in blocks in the CIF Southern Section. Spears helped the Bulldogs to an overall record of 22-9 and a second place showing in the Pacific League at 8-2. Pasadena advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division IIAA Tournament.

Academics: Spears is scheduled to graduate with her bachelor's degree in sociology in August 2011.

Personal: Brittany Spears was born on Sept. 27, 1988 in Southern California. She is the daughter of the late Michelle Henly. She has been raised by her Aunt, Katherine Johnson and has three older brothers, Christian Valencia, Corey Calium and Nathanial Smith, two younger sisters, Kamaya and Kamille Stafford and one younger brother, Michael Stafford.

Season GP-S Min Avg FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct. FT FTA Pct OR DR Tot Avg PF FO A TO BK S Pts Avg
2007-08 34-34 1118 32.9 174 409 .425 57 176 .324 67 82 .817 63 196 259 7.6 69 2 64 79 52 57 472 13.9
2008-09 29-29 1028 35.4 199 459 .434 44 134 .328 88 122 .721 53 174 227 7.8 51 0 51 109 33 55 530 18.3
2009-10 30-30 963 32.1 184 431 .427 55 154 .357 108 129 .837 70 164 234 7.8 75 1 61 96 31 64 541 17.7
2010-11 34-34 1093 32.1 239 590 .405 81 235 .345 93 112 .830 73 204 277 8.1 72 0 44 107 40 61 652 19.2
Totals 127-127 4202 33.1 796 1889 .421 237 699 .339 356 445 .800 259 738 997 7.9 267 3 220 391 156 237 2185 17.2