Shameka Christon is a woman among girls. Born in Springfield, Illinois and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas, she’s one of the University of Arkansas most decorated women’s basketball player, finishing her college career with 1,763 points — the second most in the school’s history.

Christon captured several career records and became the first Lady ’Back voted SEC Player of the Year. She swept the coaches and Associated Press honor, and added all-America honors from both groups. Voted Kodak All-America honorable mention and All-Region 3, she became the first-ever Associated Press All-American at Arkansas with a third-team selection.

She closed her career as the first Lady’Back selected in the first round of the WNBA draft, picked fifth overall by the New York Liberty. An All-Star in the WNBA, Christon consistently showed why she was a force to be reckoned with by leading the Liberty to several post-season appearances. Her professional career has taken her to Poland, Russia, Spain and Israel, winning a championship along the way.

A staunch community activist, she runs her own childcare center, Kiddie Corner Kollege, is launching a new shoe line and will soon produce exposure camps for women basketball players interested in pursuing careers overseas. A dynamic speaker and presenter, Shameka’s audiences include universities, teams, organizations, faith-based organizations and Fortune 100 companies, including UniLever, Hoops for Habitat, and ECHO.

She earned a degree in social work from the University of Arkansas and is currently rehabbing, planning for a return to the pro hoops in the 2012 season.