Jen D and Dreams

From Walk-on to Wheaties

Jen D and Dreams - How many Jen D’s are there out there?

Jen D and Dreams

Posted: November 20, 2006 10:58 a.m. ET

Back in 2004, my beloved Sun were trying to figure out changes and their roster. A “where do we go from here” moment after a so-so first season in Connecticut. So they had a free agent camp. 34 or 37 people paid either 200 or 250 dollars to take their shot at the WNBA dream. Now you need to understand that this story is moving into legend so the accuracy of details is beginning to change.

Jen D's Dream

One of those with a dream was Jen Derevjanik from George Mason. Yes, that hot bed of basketball greatness: George Mason. Shocking isn’t it, to discover that no one is drafted from George Mason. A powerhouse in the CAA ... ah, what does CAA stand for again? College Art Association? Creative Artists Agency? Oh yeah, Colonial Athletic Association. A powerhouse, I say!

But I digress.

See Jen had a dream of playing in the W. And she, on paper, sort of had the stats for that dream... if she played for UCONN or Tennessee. She made the CAA All-Rookie team in her {duh} rookie year. And was named to the All-CAA second team two years and First Team honors her senior season at GM. According to George Mason’s web site, Jen ranks 3rd all-time in Mason history with 1,637 career points. Outstanding at GM and so so at say Stanford. Third all-time in Mason history with 470 total career assists. Has a nice 3 point shot and overall is a good solid journeyman player. Just not the kind of player-school-conference that the pros scout or talk about when it comes draft day. Heck I could not even find out if George Mason has ever gone to the big show... March Madness... the NCAA tournament.

Except people forgot to tell Jen that in a way that she believed.

See if Jen had gone to Christ the King instead of Staten Island, Jen might have worn UCONN blue and then would have been in a program that gets looked at. Instead she played her big heart out at George Mason.

Jen's Performance

Philip R. Creed, a Broadside staff writer summed things up best.

"The women’s semifinal game against VCU had perhaps the most outstanding individual performance in CAA tournament history. It was the best I saw all year."

Mason senior Jen Derevjanik played out of her mind, literally, in leading Mason to victory. She scored 40 points (17/24), breaking the old CAA tournament record of 39 (set in an overtime game).

Throughout the game, she was a cold-blooded assassin. She hit 3-pointers, pull-up jumpers and lay-ups whenever Mason needed a shot. She made steals and hustled for loose balls. Derevjanik simply would not let Mason lose. Later, Derevjanik said that she was not thinking at all that game. As a matter of fact, with time running out, she did not even realize that she had 37 points. As the shot and game clocks ran down, the Mason players and coaches yelled at her to take one last shot. She did, and her 3-pointer swished in as the final buzzer sounded, setting off a spontaneous and ecstatic celebration to which my writing cannot do justice. Players ran down the court, arms up and fists pumping. The entire Patriots squad mobbed Derevjanik. Players jumped up and down and hugged each other. Part of it had to be the fact that they were going to the CAA championship. But another part of it was admiration of Derevjanik, maybe knowing they had just seen a historic performance.

The entire Mason squad had played an outstanding game that evening and throughout the tournament. But Derevjanik’s performance against VCU was one for the ages.”

Jen's Dream - Opportunity

But no one from the W came calling for a heart like that. So Jen strolled up to Connecticut, paid her money and played her heart out at a camp to get an invite to try out.

Yeah, you read that right. Jen had to try out to get a tryout. And she had to pay to get the chance.

You go, girl!

The rest, shall we say, is history. In this unscripted story the kid goes on to make the team. Jen played behind Debbie Black and this other “unknown” from Minnesota, Lindsay Whalen. And every time Jen got a minute here and a minute there on the court in a game, she played her heart out again.

Now that first season, I freely admitted that I rolled my eyes and pondered what Mike T. was thinking. But Jen just kept getting better. In the 2005 season Debbie Black left {why has no team snatched Debbie to coach defense?} and Jamie Carey arrived. Another all heart player. Maria Colon did not make the team, much to the ire of Husky fans. But then both Jen and Jamie played their hearts out.

2006 arrives with Erin Phillips. Lindsay, Erin and who for the 3rd spot? Again Jen played her heart out but this time it was not meant to be.
Instead of calling it quits, our intrepid hero goes to Phoenix and steps into an ill Kelly Miller's shoes and starts.

Jen D's Time too Shine

Yeah, Hollywood just can’t write this stuff. Cut from the 3rd spot on one team and turns it into a starting spot on another team. As we all know Kelly Miller comes back from her illness and returns to her starting position but for a little while Jen led the Mercury in rebounds. Yes rebounds. I had a WHAT! moment myself when I read that back in May. But Jen is all heart and can play out of her mind at a drop of a hat.

Jen went on to have her picture on the Wheaties box ( #24 bottom row, second from left)when she won the WNBA Championship with the Phoenix Mercury 2007

So here is the moral of the story...

How many Jen D’s are there out there? How many good solid journeyman players who can provide depth to the bench and play out of their minds for 5-10 minutes a game for a team are hiding in small schools around the country? They are playing on the teams that do not win their conferences but somehow this kids score double doubles game after game. Or block 5 shots a night. I can name a few W teams that could use a back up post who can make two or three blocks a game and stand 6-4 or taller.

For some of these kids they just never had a coach that taught them those little extra things that would have gotten them to a Tennessee or to a Baylor. For some, they really wanted to go to Harvard or Yale. Basketball is great, but there is no way I would pass up an Ivy degree. What would have happen to Allison Feaster if Harvard had not won? What if Texas never took a chance with Jamie Carey?

And what about the mid-tier schools? What if FSU hadn’t had the year they had? Would Brooke Wyckoff nailed the shot at the buzzer ala T-Spoon for force a game 3 for the Sun to win? Would the Sky have her now to help build a team both on and off the court?

So in honor of all dreamers who do not wear a tattoo for the world to see and talk about I give you the Jen D’s Dreamer Award.

Reprinted from - http://aol.wnba.com/voices/fanblog_melissa.html