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Angel Goodrich goes from lighting up scoreboards to putting out fires

Former WNBA player Angel Goodrich (Cherokee), who also played in NABI, receives training as a member of the Tulsa Fire Department. (Kofi Wallace Facebook)

After several years as a basketball standout, Angel Goodrich (Cherokee) has found a new team and a new career.

Angel Goodrich in her days as a member of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm in 2015. (Neil Enns, Storm Photos)

Goodrich recently became a member of the Tulsa Fire Department in Oklahoma.

“It was crazy and tough to imagine what I’d do once basketball was officially over. All I knew was I wanted to help others and God made that possible this past year with his plans. I am so blessed to be part of something bigger and I can’t wait to start my career serving the Tulsa community,” Goodrich said in a post April 3 on the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) Foundation Facebook page.

Goodrich, a 5-foot-4 guard, was a standout at Sequoyah High School, where she led the team to three Oklahoma state championships. She also played in NABI, an annual basketball invitational in the Phoenix area that attracts some of the best Native American high school-age players, including those from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Last year she was a guest speaker at the NABI Educational Youth Summit.

“Congrats Angel Goodrich (NABI Alumn/WNBA) on another great accomplishment!,” NABI posted on its Facebook page.

In 2013, Goodrich and fellow Native American sisters Shoni and Jude Schimmel received the Phil Homeratha Leadership Award at NABI. The award is named for the late Haskell Indian Nations University women’s basketball coach. 

Goodrich, 30, starred at the University of Kansas, where she holds the school record for career assists and was named Big 12 First Team. As a pro, she played a total of 83 games in the WNBA for the Tulsa Shock, which drafted her in 2013, and the Seattle Storm. She also played for pro teams overseas.

Angel Goodrich, center, with fellow members of the Tulsa Fire Department. (Kofi Wallace Facebook )
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson is senior editor. He has worked for The Seminole Tribune since 2014. He was previously an editor, photographer and reporter for newspapers in Southwest Florida and Connecticut. Contact Kevin at kevinjohnson@semtribe.com.
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