Tari Phillips

Tari Phillips
Personal information
Born (1969-03-06) March 6, 1969 (age 55)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolEdgewater (Orlando, Florida)
College
WNBA draft1999: 1st round, 8th overall pick
Selected by the Orlando Miracle
Playing career1999–2007
PositionForward / center
Number24
Career history
1999Orlando Miracle
20002004New York Liberty
20052007Houston Comets
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  United States
World University Games
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Buffalo Team Competition
FIBA World Championship for Women
Gold medal – first place 2002 Nanjing Team Competition

Tari L. Phillips (born March 6, 1969) is an American former professional women's basketball player. Her cousin Tayyiba Haneef-Park played for USA Volleyball.

Born in Orlando, Florida, Phillips attended the University of Georgia during her first three college years, and helped its Lady Bulldogs team to the NCAA Regional Finals in 1987 and 1988. She transferred during her senior year to the University of Central Florida, where she graduated in 1991.

She played for the Seattle Reign and the Colorado Xplosion in the American Basketball League (1996-1998). She made the ABL's Western Conference All-Star team in both 1997 and 1998, and was named the MVP of the 1997 All-Star Game.

After the ABL abruptly folded, Phillip was selected by her hometown team, the Orlando Miracle in the first round (eighth overall) of the WNBA draft on May 4, 1999.

After her WNBA rookie season in 1999, she was selected by the Portland Fire in the WNBA's Expansion Draft in December 1999, but she was later traded to the New York Liberty just prior to the start of the WNBA's 2000 season. She played with the Liberty from 2000 to 2004. After the 2004 season ended, she became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Houston Comets for the 2005 WNBA season. The Comets waived Phillips on July 2, 2007.

Phillips won a Gold Medal with USA Basketball during the Basketball World Championship in 2002. She was named to the team as a replacement for the injured Tina Thompson.