After nearly a month of practice with the Detroit Shock, forward Syreeta Bromfield was waived from the team Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Shock confirmed Bromfield's release.
A two-time MSU women's basketball team Player of the Year, Bromfield was chosen by the Shock in the third round of the 2003 WNBA Draft April 25. The forward appeared in two preseason games with Detroit and collected a combined two points and one rebound in seven minutes of action.
Bromfield's waiver enables her to be picked up by any of the WNBA's remaining 13 squads.
She could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Prior to the preseason, Shock head coach Bill Laimbeer pointed to a tandem of talented returnees as Bromfield's main competition in the backcourt.
"Our small forward position is pretty locked up," Laimbeer said. "We've got Swin (Cash) and another player, Ayana Walker, who was drafted last year. We're not looking at anybody across the country right now."
Cash was a first-round draft pick who led Detroit's offense last season with a 14.8-point average. Walker was what Laimbeer called a "big surprise," averaging 5.1 points, 3.7 boards and a block per contest last year.
This left little room for Bromfield to make her mark.
But the forward left behind a legacy at MSU.
As the 28th-overall choice, Bromfield was the highest draft pick ever to play for MSU. She is just the third Spartan to be selected in the draft, following Maxann Reese(39th, 2000) and Kristen Rasmussen(51st, 2000).
"I think it's been an exciting opportunity for Syreeta," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "It's been a great thing for her."
In two seasons as a Spartan, Bromfield ranked 21st on the all-time scoring list (925). She also garnered back-to-back second-team All-Big Ten honors and in her senior campaign was the lone Big Ten athlete to rank in the conferences' top 15 in scoring (14.7ppg), rebounds (6.6pg), assists (90) and steals (59).
The Kingston, Jamaica, native transferred to MSU after two years at Tallahassee Community College, where she closed out her career as the Eagles' all-time leading scorer (1,055) and rebounder (529).
McCallie said regardless of Bromfield's future as a professional, the athlete has accomplished a lot.
"She'll always be the first WNBA draftee out of Michigan State with this coaching staff," she said. "There was Rasmussen, Maxann Reese and now there's Syreeta, and that's something she can really be proud of."
