Sonja Henning

Sonja L. Henning (born October 4, 1969 in Jackson, Tennessee) is an attorney and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. She grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and attended "The" William Horlick High School.

Stanford University

She attended Stanford University and played for its women's basketball team from 1987 to 1991. She helped the Cardinal win the 1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship game, defeating Auburn University. The following year, Henning was named Pac-10 Player of the Year and a Kodak All-American in her senior season.

During the summer of 1990, she was a member of the 1990 U.S. National Team that won the World Games and Goodwill Games.

An economics major, Henning graduated from Stanford in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

After graduation, there were few opportunities for women to play professional basketball in the United States at the time, so Henning started her professional career playing in a women's professional basketball team in Uppsala, Sweden in 1992.

Duke University

After playing one season in Sweden, she enrolled in Duke University Law School in 1993 where she obtained a Juris Doctor in 1995.

Shortly after graduating from Duke, Henning starting working as an attorney specializing in labor and employment law for the Littler Mendelson law firm in Los Angeles, California.

Resuming professional basketball

In 1996, the American Basketball League (ABL) was formed, and Henning tried out for a playing spot on a team in the new league. Henning was eventually drafted by the San Jose Lasers, a team which also featured former Stanford players Jennifer Azzi, Anita Kaplan, and Val Whiting.

She played for the Lasers for two seasons, then joined the Portland Power until financial difficulties led to the ABL's demise in 1998.

Henning joined the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) after being selected in the second round (24th overall pick) by the Houston Comets during its 1999 WNBA Draft and helped the Comets to its third straight WNBA championship season. During that same year, she also served as the president of the WNBA Players Union.

In 2000, the WNBA held an expansion draft for current players to join newly-formed teams. Henning was selected by the Seattle Storm and played with the team from 2000 to part of the 2002 season until she was traded back to the Comets.

After the 2002 season ended, she became a free agent, and signed a contract with the Washington Mystics in May 5, 2003, but was waived by the team three weeks later. In June 2003, Henning signed a contract with the Indiana Fever and played for them during that season.

Henning served as president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association from 2001 to 2003.

She retired from the WNBA in 2004.

Life after basketball

After serving two years as general counsel for Lucy.com, a startup Internet company that sells women's sporting apparel, Henning joined the law firm Tonkon Torp LLP, located in Portland, Oregon. She is currently an attorney specializing in labor and employment litigation matters.

A civic activist, Henning currently serves on the board of directors for the Urban League of Portland.

In May 2005, Henning was elected to a seat on the Portland School Board in a landslide victory with over 70 percent of the vote.

Career Statistics

WNBA Career Totals

WNBA Career Playoff Averages

External links

* [http://www.tonkon.com/attorneys/dspLawyer.cfm?attorney=Sonja_Henning Tonkon Torp LLP biography]
* [http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/sonja_henning/ WNBA player profile]
* [http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2004/janfeb/classnotes/henning.html 2004 "Stanford Magazine" article: Whatever Happened To...Sonja Henning]
* [http://www.wnba.com/fever/news/feature_henning_030731.html 2003 Indiana Fever article]