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Kayte Christensen
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Key Information
Kayte Lauren Christensen (born November 16, 1980) is an American color commentator for the Sacramento Kings[2] and former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association.
Early life and education
[edit]Kayte Lauren Christensen was born in Lakeview, Oregon to Randy and Cathy Christensen.[3] She attended Modoc High School in Alturas, California and graduated in 1998.[3] She was named the Shasta Cascade League MVP in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons.[3] Her senior season saw her named the California Division V Player of the Year in 1998 en route to winning the California Interscholastic Federation Division V championship.[3]
Christensen attended college at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she competed on the women's basketball team with future WNBA players Erin Buescher, Lindsay Taylor, and Kristen Mann.[3] She was named to the Big West Conference All-Freshman team in 1999 and was the 2002 Big West Player of the Year.[3][4][5][6]
Playing career
[edit]Christensen was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the third round (40th overall) of the 2002 WNBA draft.[7] She spent four seasons with the Mercury before she signed with the Houston Comets on March 24, 2006.[5] She was waived on May 19, 2006, when she failed to make Houston's regular-season roster.[6] She was signed to a short-term injury hardship contract by Houston on May 23, 2006, before rejoining the Mercury on June 15, 2006.[8][9]
After the 2006 season ended, Christensen became a free agent until she signed a contract with the Chicago Sky on March 8, 2007.[10][11] She was released from the Chicago Sky on May 20, 2008 after missing games due to a recurring back injury.[11]
Christensen has played professional basketball overseas in South Korea, Turkey, and Greece during the WNBA offseasons.[12][13]
Christensen has twice received the WNBA Offseason Community Assist Award, first in 2003 and second in 2004.[14]
Commentary career
[edit]Christensen served as the Arizona State Sun Devils women's basketball radio color analyst, beginning in 2003, for the Sun Devil Sports Network on NBC 1190 AM.[15]
Christensen served as a courtside reporter for the NBA's Sacramento Kings during Comcast SportsNet broadcasts at Sleep Train Arena. In May 2010, she was replaced by Jim Gray. She returned to her courtside role in the Kings' 2013–14 season.[16] Before the start of the 2021-22 NBA season the Kings announced that Christensen would replace Doug Christie as the team's television broadcast color analyst.[17]
She also has worked as a women's basketball color analyst for ESPN and ESPNU, a social media correspondent for the Phoenix Suns, and a social media engagement producer for The Arizona Republic.[18]
Public diplomacy
[edit]In June 2011, Christensen traveled to Venezuela as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. In this function, she worked with Darvin Ham to conduct basketball clinics for 300 youth from underserved areas and met with Venezuelan sports officials. In so doing, Christensen helped contribute to SportsUnited's mission to promote greater understanding and inclusion through sport.[19]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
WNBA
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Phoenix | 30 | 2 | 13.8 | 50.5 | 0.0 | 68.6 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 4.0 |
| 2003 | Phoenix | 30 | 16 | 22.0 | 48.4 | — | 60.2 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 6.9 |
| 2004 | Phoenix | 32 | 1 | 12.7 | 38.8 | — | 63.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| 2005 | Phoenix | 11 | 1 | 9.8 | 46.7 | — | 57.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| 2006 | Houston | 6 | 0 | 14.5 | 50.0 | — | 100.0 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 3.0 |
| Phoenix | 11 | 0 | 4.8 | 16.7 | — | 50.0 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
| 2007 | Chicago | 23 | 7 | 9.2 | 41.7 | — | 44.4 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| Career | 6 years, 3 teams | 143 | 27 | 13.6 | 46.4 | 0.0 | 60.8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 3.2 |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Santa Barbara | 30 | - | - | 55.1 | 100.0 | 62.1 | 5.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 | - | 8.0 |
| 1999–00 | Santa Barbara | 18 | - | - | 56.5 | 0.0 | 50.8 | 6.3 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | - | 10.4 |
| 2000–01 | Santa Barbara | 31 | - | - | 54.9 | 0.0 | 66.7 | 7.6 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.1 | - | 13.7 |
| 2001–02 | Santa Barbara | 32 | - | - | 54.3 | 0.0 | 65.5 | 9.1 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | - | 14.5 |
| Career | 111 | - | - | 54.9 | 11.1 | 63.1 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | - | 11.9 | |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Kayte Christensen". Women's National Basketball Association. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "Kings Name Kayte Christensen-Hunter as TV Game Analyst". NBA.com/kings. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "UC Santa Barbara player profile". ucsbgauchos.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Awards and Honors: UC SANTA BARBARA'S CHRISTENSEN NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR". bigwest.org/. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "Comets Add Kayte Christensen". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b "Christensen Rejoins Comets". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Appelbaum, Eliav (April 24, 2002). "Christensen Embarks Today for WNBA Player Orientation in Chicago". Daily Nexus. Santa Barbara, California. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "2006 WNBA Transactions". Archived from the original on July 16, 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Mercury Sign Kayte Christensen". wnba.com. Women's National Basketball Association. June 15, 2006. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Sky Signs Kayte Christensen". wnba.com. Women's National Basketball Association. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "Sky Release Christensen". Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Kayte Christensen: Blogging From Overseas". wnba.com. Women's National Basketball Association. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Five Former Gauchos Enter 2006 WNBA Training Camps". cstv.com. April 20, 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Christensen Receives Offseason Community Assist Award". wnba.com. Women's National Basketball Association. May 28, 2004. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ "Mercury's Kayte Christensen Hired as Women's Basketball Color Analyst". thesundevils.com. Arizona State Sun Devils. December 4, 2003. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ Ziller, Tom (September 17, 2013). "Kayte Christensen returns to Kings broadcasts". sactownroyalty.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ "Kayte Christensen-Hunter to replace Doug Christie as Kings color analyst". 9 September 2021.
- ^ "KINGS BROADCASTER BIOGRAPHIES". nba.com. Sacramento Kings. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Basketball Players to Visit Venezuela as Sports Envoys | IIP Digital". iipdigital.usembassy.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ "Kayte Christensen College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kayte Christensen.
- Official website
- WNBA player profile at the Wayback Machine (archived May 17, 2008)
- UC Santa Barbara player profile Archived 2017-05-20 at the Wayback Machine
Kayte Christensen
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and education
Early life
Kayte Lauren Christensen was born on November 16, 1980, in Lakeview, Oregon, to parents Randy and Cathy Christensen.[3][12][13] Following her birth, the family relocated to rural northeastern California, where Christensen was raised on their 750-acre cattle ranch in Jess Valley, near the small town of Likely in Modoc County.[14][15] The ranch, which had been in the family for nearly 90 years, provided a rugged, isolated environment that shaped her early years, involving daily chores like heavy lifting and outdoor labor that built her physical resilience.[14] In this small-town setting, Christensen's athletic interests emerged through family influences and community activities, as she grew up as a very active child engaging in running, jumping, and other outdoor pursuits on the ranch.[15]Education
Kayte Christensen attended Modoc High School in Alturas, California, where she developed her basketball skills in a rural setting, competing against smaller regional schools and emerging as a standout athlete.[16] She graduated from Modoc High School in 1998, marking the beginning of her formal involvement in organized basketball during her high school years.[1] Following high school, Christensen enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 1998 on a full athletic scholarship, where she pursued a degree in classics while balancing rigorous academic demands with her athletic commitments.[14] She attended UCSB from 1998 to 2002, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and focusing on integrating her studies in classical civilizations with her basketball training and development.[6] During her senior year, Christensen was recognized for her academic excellence alongside her athletic prowess, receiving Academic All-American honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).[16]Playing career
College career
Kayte Christensen enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1998 on a full athletic scholarship and joined the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's basketball team as a 6-4 power forward, playing all four seasons from 1998 to 2002.[14][17] Over her collegiate career, she contributed to the Gauchos' dominance in the Big West Conference, where the team secured four straight regular-season championships, including undefeated conference records in three of those years.[18][19][20] As a freshman during the 1998–99 season, Christensen played a key role in the Gauchos' 26–4 overall record and perfect 15–0 Big West mark, which earned the team a No. 17 national ranking in the final AP Poll.[18] Her strong debut performance led to her selection on the Big West Conference All-Freshman Team.[21] Christensen's development accelerated in her later seasons, as she earned First-team All-Big West honors in both 2001 and 2002.[22] In her junior year (2000–01), she helped the team to a 22–9 record and a share of the conference title with a 12–2 mark.[23] By her senior season (2001–02), she had emerged as a team leader, guiding the Gauchos to a 26–6 overall record and another undefeated 16–0 conference campaign en route to the Big West Player of the Year award.[7][20] One standout performance came when she shot 16-for-17 from the field against Arizona, underscoring her efficiency as a post player.[16]WNBA career
Christensen was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the 40th overall pick in the third round of the 2002 WNBA Draft. As a rookie forward, she earned a spot on the opening-day roster, becoming the only third-round selection to do so that year, and contributed solid efficiency from the field at 50.5 percent while averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds over 30 games.[9] She spent her first five seasons primarily with the Phoenix Mercury from 2002 to 2006, establishing herself as a reliable role player in the frontcourt who provided rebounding support and defensive presence for the team's rotations.[12] Her most productive year came in 2003, when she appeared in all 30 games, averaging 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, helping bolster the Mercury's depth during a season that saw the team finish with a 20-14 record.[24] In 2006, Christensen split time between the Mercury and the Houston Comets, playing 11 games for Phoenix and 6 for Houston after being waived and signed as a free agent, where she continued to offer bench production in limited minutes.[4] Following the 2006 season, she joined the Chicago Sky for the 2007 campaign, playing in 23 games as a forward and contributing to the team's rebuilding efforts with her veteran experience.[12] Christensen returned to the Sky in 2008 but was hampered by a recurring back injury that caused her to miss the preseason opener and subsequent games.[25] She was waived by the team on May 20, 2008, effectively ending her six-season WNBA career.Post-playing career
Broadcasting career
Following her WNBA playing career, which provided her with deep insights into professional basketball, Kayte Christensen transitioned into broadcasting in 2007 as a sideline reporter and analyst for the Sacramento Kings on Comcast SportsNet, serving in that role through the 2009–10 NBA season.[11][26] During this period, she also began contributing as a freelance color analyst for ESPN and ESPNU, focusing on women's basketball coverage that included WNBA games.[11][26] In 2011, Christensen expanded her national profile by working as a color analyst for women's college basketball on ESPN and ESPNU, while continuing local contributions with the Kings in studio roles for pregame, halftime, and postgame shows on what became NBC Sports California.[26][2] Her work during this time earned recognition, including a 2017 Northern California Emmy Award for on-camera sideline reporting as part of the Kings broadcast team.[5][27] Christensen returned to a prominent on-air role with the Kings in the 2021–22 NBA season as the television color commentator on NBC Sports California, replacing Doug Christie alongside play-by-play announcers Mark Jones and Kyle Draper.[28][29] She has continued in this position, providing game analysis and insights for the 2025–26 season broadcasts.[30] As of November 2025, Christensen remains active in Kings coverage, offering commentary on team performance, such as the squad's early-season defensive struggles during a 1-3 road trip.[31] In May 2025, she reflected in an interview on her formative years with the Phoenix Mercury, highlighting the city's lasting impact on her career.[32]Public diplomacy
In June 2011, Kayte Christensen was selected by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy, traveling to Venezuela from June 16 to 22 to lead basketball clinics and cultural exchanges.[33] Accompanied by former NBA player Darvin Ham and NBA rookie Greivis Vasquez, she conducted sessions in Caracas and Puerto La Cruz, focusing on youth from underserved communities, including participants aged 14 to 18 from the English Access Microscholarship Program.[33] The program aligned with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's "smart power diplomacy" initiative, aiming to foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and Venezuela through sports while promoting education, healthy practices, diversity, and bilateral relations.[33] The envoys' activities included skill-building basketball clinics emphasizing teamwork, leadership, and perseverance, alongside meetings with Venezuelan sports officials and a roundtable discussion with local journalists to highlight sports' role in youth development.[34] These efforts engaged over 200 young participants, strengthening U.S.-Venezuela ties by inspiring local youth and building goodwill through shared athletic experiences.[34] Christensen reflected on the trip as "an incredible experience to connect with the Venezuelan people through basketball," noting the enthusiasm and passion of the local players and fans as a highlight of the cultural exchange.[34] No further public diplomacy initiatives involving Christensen have been documented beyond this 2011 envoy role.[33]Career statistics
WNBA
Kayte Christensen's WNBA regular season statistics are summarized below, based on data from her professional career spanning 2002 to 2007.[1]Per Game Averages
| Season | Team | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | PHO | 30 | 2 | 13.8 | 1.6 | 3.2 | .505 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.8 | 1.2 | .686 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 4.0 |
| 2003 | PHO | 30 | 16 | 22.0 | 2.6 | 5.4 | .484 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.7 | 2.8 | .602 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 6.9 |
| 2004 | PHO | 32 | 1 | 12.7 | 0.6 | 1.5 | .388 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.4 | 0.6 | .632 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 1.6 |
| 2005 | PHO | 11 | 1 | 9.8 | 0.6 | 1.4 | .467 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.4 | 0.6 | .571 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| 2006 | TOT | 17 | 0 | 8.2 | 0.5 | 1.3 | .409 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.2 | 0.2 | .750 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| 2007 | CHI | 23 | 7 | 9.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 | .417 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.8 | .444 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| Career | TOT | 143 | 27 | 13.6 | 1.3 | 2.7 | .464 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.7 | 1.2 | .608 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
Career Totals
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Games Played (G) | 143 |
| Games Started (GS) | 27 |
| Minutes Played (MP) | 1,939 |
| Field Goals Made (FG) | 181 |
| Field Goal Attempts (FGA) | 390 |
| Field Goal Percentage (FG%) | .464 |
| Free Throws Made (FT) | 101 |
| Free Throw Attempts (FTA) | 166 |
| Free Throw Percentage (FT%) | .608 |
| Offensive Rebounds (ORB) | 164 |
| Defensive Rebounds (DRB) | 209 |
| Total Rebounds (TRB) | 373 |
| Assists (AST) | 74 |
| Steals (STL) | 90 |
| Blocks (BLK) | 47 |
| Turnovers (TOV) | 137 |
| Personal Fouls (PF) | 385 |
| Points (PTS) | 463 |
College
During her four seasons with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos from 1998 to 2002, Kayte Christensen compiled career totals of 111 games played, 1,318 points (11.9 points per game), 807 rebounds (7.3 rebounds per game), 73 assists (0.7 assists per game), a .549 field goal percentage, and a .631 free throw percentage.[17] Her year-by-year per-game statistics are summarized below:[17]| Season | Class | Games | Points | Rebounds | Assists | FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Freshman | 30 | 8.0 | 5.6 | 0.4 | .551 | .621 |
| 1999–00 | Sophomore | 18 | 10.4 | 6.3 | 0.4 | .565 | .508 |
| 2000–01 | Junior | 31 | 13.7 | 7.6 | 0.9 | .549 | .667 |
| 2001–02 | Senior | 32 | 14.5 | 9.1 | 0.8 | .543 | .655 |
| Career | 111 | 11.9 | 7.3 | 0.7 | .549 | .631 |