Wings' Imani McGee-Stafford steps away for law school

Dallas Wings center Imani McGee-Stafford is stepping away for the next two WNBA seasons to pursue a law degree from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, where she grew up. She has been placed on the team's suspended list.

"While I am saddened to step away from such a big part of my life, I'm also excited for this next chapter," said McGee-Stafford, who is the daughter of former Southern Cal women's basketball player Pamela McGee and the sister of Lakers center JaVale McGee.

The 6-foot-7 McGee-Stafford, 25, played at Texas from 2012 to '16, averaging 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. She was selected No. 10 overall in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky, for whom she played that season and part of 2017 before being traded to Atlanta. She was with the Dream in 2018 as well, and then was traded to the Wings before last season. She averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds for Dallas in 2019.

"We wish Imani well as she pursues a law degree," Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said in a statement. "We thank her for her hard work and contribution to the Wings organization and support her decision to step away from the WNBA in order to achieve a longtime goal."