Essence Carson is a guard who last played for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA. A Paterson, NJ native, Carson attended the Rosa L. Parks School of Fine & Performing Arts and the Eastside High School, where she became a McDonald's All-American, before accepting a basketball scholarship to Rutgers University. Carson excelled for the Scarlet Knights, as she became Big East Academic All-Star in her freshman season, and Big East Defensive Player of the Year in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. In her junior season, she helped lead Rutgers to the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, advancing to the finals after defeating Duke. Carson then entered the 2008 WNBA Draft, where she was selected 7th overall by the New York Liberty. She has had a storied career in the WNBA, playing in 13 seasons as of 2021. In 2011, she was an All Star for the Liberty, and in 2016 was a WNBA champion with the Los Angeles Sparks, helping defeat the Minnesota Lynx in the finals 3-2. Carson is also very musically inclined, as she can play the piano, saxophone, electric bass guitar and drums. As of now, she works for Universal/Capitol Music Group as Manager of Priority Records.
