QUEENS, NY – Following one of the most impressive single-season jumps in St. John’s women’s basketball history, former Westwood High School standout Unique Drake will now move into the professional ranks.
Earlier this summer, Drake signed a professional contract in Europe, to play for Polisportiva Battipagliese in Italy. She will compete in the top-flight Serie A.
St. John Career
After winning BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year honors in 2022-23, the guard increased her scoring average by nearly double-digits. The former Redhawk tallied 18.4 points per contest in her redshirt senior season.
One of the most prolific scorers in program history, Drake is one of three players to ever score more than 35 points in multiple games in a season. The redshirt senior poured in 36 in a double-overtime win at DePaul on Jan. 25. In the WBIT First Round at Florida, she shattered a postseason record, putting up a career-high 37 points in Gainesville.
During her final season, Drake recorded four 30-points performances, fourteen 20-plus point outings and finished in double-figures in 27 contests. The guard shot 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Drake nailed 79 three-pointers, which ranks third-most in program history. On Nov. 19, Drake matched the program’s single-game record after sinking seven 3-pointers in a 67-47 victory over Manhattan.
Drake was unanimously named All-BIG EAST First Team and tabbed an All-Met First Team selection. Throughout the year, she was twice named BIG EAST Player of the Week and MET Player of the Week. She made 147 appearances for the Red Storm, the most ever by a St. John’s men’s or women’s basketball player, and ended her career 11th on the all-time scoring list accumulating 1,442 points.
In April, Drake shined at the Women’s College Senior All-Star Game in Cleveland. Drake led all scorers with 27 points on 12-of-21 shooting and recorded three steals. Drake played an integral role on rallying from 20 points down leading a furious second half comeback. She added 15 points in the latter half as Team Lieberman downed Team Miller, 95-88, earning her the MVP title of the Senior All-Star Game.
Westwood Career
Drake solidified her place among the Westwood athletic elite after leading the Redhawks to the 2019 upper state championship game. The 5-7 Drake also finished out her career as a 1,500-plus point scorer, averaging 17.0 points per game over 107 games. She was a first-team 2018 USA Today South Carolina and in 2019 was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game as well as a runner-up for the Gatorade Player of the Year.
“Westwood forever. I love Westwood,” Drake told The Voice in a 2021 interview. “They made me where I am today. From my freshman to senior years, that’s really where it all started. I want to thank Westwood community and Coach (Gregory) Bauldrick, he’s the best. He taught me a lot.”