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A’Quonesia Franklin has advanced from playing with the boys at the YMCA to the big girls of the WNBA.

The rookie point guard makes her professional debut tonight with the Sacramento Monarchs, who entertain San Antonio on the West Coast.

The Tyler native will play her first game with her new team against a former teammate. Morenike Atunrase, a first-year forward for San Antonio, teamed with Franklin to help A&M reach the NCAA Elite Eight last month.

With only five picks left in the draft, the Monarchs selected Franklin with the 38th overall choice last month.

Franklin, one of four Monarchs rookies drafted, earned a spot on a veteran squad that includes WNBA All-Stars Kara Lawson, Ticha Penicheiro, Rebekkah Brunson and former All-American Nicole Powell.

“I was nervous, anxious to see if my name got called,” Franklin told the

Tyler Morning Telegraph after the draft. “I didn’t care where I went. I just wanted to be part of a team.”

As a youth, Franklin honed her game against tough competition, competing with all boys in the local YMCA basketball league. She entered John Tyler a hot commodity and left three years later a school legend after leading the Lady Lions to a record of 93-11, and a No. 1 ranking her senior year.

She started four years at A&M, assisting the Aggies’ rise to an elite team and earning honorable mention All-America honors twice.

Franklin rates leadership on the top of her list of strengths.

“I’ve been a captain and leader on my team for four years,” Franklin said in an interview with WNBA.com. “I’m able to get the ball to the go-to players. I find the player that’s hot and get the ball to them.”

While some perceive her 5-3 height as a possible weakness, Franklin uses it for motivation.

In Sacramento’s final preseason game on May 5 against Washington, Franklin recorded seven points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals while logging 30 minutes of action.

“There are not many 5-3 point guards besides maybe (Los Angeles Sparks guard) Temeka Johnson,” she told the Web site. “Being 5-3 there were a lot of doubters out there that said I wouldn’t go to a big-time college, but I ended up in the Big 12. So my doubters motivate me a lot.”

Saturday’s game will be televised on NBA TV. A web cast will also be available through wnba.com.

Sacramento plays at Seattle Tuesday in a game set to be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Franklin will make four visits to her home state during the season on two different road trips. On the first, Sacramento plays in San Antonio on July 3 and in Houston on July 5. To close out the season, Sacramento travels to Houston on Sept. 12 and to San Antonio on Sept 13.

A’QUONESIA FRANKLIN: The former John Tyler High School and Texas A&M star will make her WNBA debut Saturday when her team, the Sacramento Monarchs, play host to the San Antonio Silver Stars in Sacramento, Calif.
(Photo By Steve Yeater/NBAE/Getty Images)