Deanna Nolan facts for kids
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| Shooting guard / point guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 25, 1979 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Russian |
| High school | Flint Northern (Flint, Michigan) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Georgia (1997–2001) |
| NBA Draft | 2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Shock | |
| Pro career | 2001–present |
| Career history | |
| 2001–2009 | Detroit Shock |
| 2007–2010; 2012–2013 |
UMMC Ekaterinburg |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Deanna Nicole "Tweety" Nolan, born on August 25, 1979, is a talented American-Russian professional basketball player. She plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League. She also plays for the Russia women's national basketball team. Deanna is mainly a shooting guard, but she can also play as a point guard.
Her original name was Deana, but she legally changed it to Deanna in 2000. She went to Flint Northern High School and helped her team win state championships. In October 2024, Deanna Nolan will be honored in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in Detroit.
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Early Life and High School Success
Deanna Nolan grew up in Flint, Michigan. She went to Flint Northern High School. While there, she led her basketball team to amazing victories. Her team won two state championships in a row, in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, she was also named Michigan's Miss Basketball, a big award for high school players.
College Basketball Journey
After high school, Nolan played college basketball at the University of Georgia. She was part of the Lady Bulldogs team from 1997 to 2001. During her time there, the team had a fantastic record of 86 wins and only 12 losses.
She studied child and family development and graduated in December 2001. In her final year, she was recognized for her skills. She earned a spot on the 2001 All-SEC Tournament Team.
WNBA Career Highlights
In 2001, Deanna Nolan was chosen by the Detroit Shock in the 2001 WNBA draft. She was the sixth player picked overall. Fans gave her the nickname "Tweety" because of her incredible ability to jump high.
Nolan was a key player for the Detroit Shock. She helped them win their first championship in 2003. In 2006, she led the team to another championship. She was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2006 WNBA Finals.
Her success continued in 2008. She helped the Shock win their third WNBA Championship. From 2007 to 2009, she was named the Detroit Shock Player of the Year. This award was given by sports broadcasters in Detroit.
Playing Around the World
During the WNBA off-seasons, Deanna Nolan played basketball internationally. She played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg club in Russia. She was with them from 2007 to 2010, and again from 2012 to 2013.
Before that, in the 2005-06 season, she played for the A.S. Ramat-Hasharon club in Israel. To help her Russian team, she got a Russian passport. This meant she wouldn't count as one of the team's foreign players. In 2008, she hoped to play for the Russian Olympic team. However, another player, Becky Hammon, was chosen instead.
