Worth the Wait
2/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This feature article appeared in the fourth edition of Flames Illustrated for the 2009-10 basketball season. Devon Brown has made an immediate impact during her first season on the court for the Lady Flames, leading the team in both points (16.8 ppg) and rebounds (9.0 rpg).
The first game of any sports season is always accompanied by heightened levels of excitement and anticipation, for players, coaches and fans alike. So, one can imagine the emotions flowing through Devon Brown's body, leading up to the Lady Flames' Nov. 13 season opener against Winston-Salem State at the Vines Center. One day after her 20th birthday and 20 months removed from her last competitive game, Brown quickly proved that her delayed collegiate basketball debut was well worth the wait.
With a host of friends and family from her nearby hometown of Waynesboro, Va., cheering her on, Brown lit up the scoreboard for 26 points, single-handedly matching the Lady Rams' team point total for the game. It is a night Brown won't soon forget.
"That was the best feeling ever," the 5-10 guard recollected. "I had worked so hard over the summer to drop weight and get in shape. When it was finally time to play, I felt like a new woman. It was amazing."
A nearly perfect beginning to her playing career for the Lady Flames came on the heels of a frustrating freshman year. Hopes were high for Brown after she had racked up 2,728 points (second-most in Virginia state history) and 1,329 rebounds (third-most in Virginia state history) during her four years at Waynesboro High School. However, a persistent foot injury sidelined her for the entire 2008-09 campaign.
Despite the setback, Brown believes she benefitted from the injury.
"It was really hard sitting out last year," the sport management major admitted. "However, there are times in life when you face difficult situations like that. I was able to learn a lot of patience and many other things, both basketball-wise and in the classroom."
Brown also had the opportunity to sit back and learn from Megan Frazee, her predecessor in the No. 40 uniform and one of the best players in program history.
"It was good to watch her play," Brown noted of the current member of the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars. "Megan is a good role model, both on the court and off. I really look up to her.
"Megan gave me some good advice going into this season," Brown continued. "She told me to always keep God first and to always play for the name on the front of your jersey."
Brown's production has helped the Lady Flames get off to a strong start this season, despite the graduation of Frazee and six other seniors from last year's Big South title-winning team. Through the first 13 games of her collegiate career, Brown was leading the conference in scoring (17.5 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (8.8 rpg).
Five-time Big South Coach of the Year Carey Green is certainly thankful Brown decided to remain within the Commonwealth and play basketball for the Lady Flames.
"Devon possesses an extraordinary combination of dedication and skills that you don't always find in student-athletes," Green observed. "She has a great shooting touch, attacks the rim well and is good at putting the ball on the floor. Devon also has the ability to become a defensive specialist.
"However, I think her greatest attribute is her rebounding," added Green. "Devon is an exceptional rebounder. She just wants the ball more than everybody else out there."
In fact, Brown has wanted the ball since the age of seven. That's how old she was when she saw a boy dribbling a basketball down the street, past her house. Intrigued by the bouncing ball, Brown raced inside to find her mother, Jennifer. She asked what kind of ball that boy was playing with and said that she wanted to try that sport.
One week later, Jennifer Brown had signed her daughter up for a basketball league at the local YMCA. Brown fell in love with the sport from day one.
"I liked playing basketball the very first time I played," Brown remembered. "I wasn't that great at first, but I still enjoyed playing."
Since that early introduction to basketball, Brown has racked up many points and rebounds. However, her best memory of the sport so far came as the result of her assist.
With Waynesboro trailing rival Turner Ashby by two points, Brown passed the ball to her sister Shanda, who was standing behind the three-point line, wide open. Shanda Brown swished the shot as the buzzer sounded, giving the Little Giants a dramatic 58-57 win and their first berth in the VHSL Group AA state tournament in 17 years.
Brown and her teammates' went on to reach the state championship game, where Waynesboro fell to future Liberty teammate Kylee Beecher's Hidden Valley squad.
Despite Brown's numerous accomplishments already in her basketball career, Green believes the best is yet to come.
"People need to remember that Devon is still young and gaining experience daily," Green observed. "As she continues to mature, grow and develop, Devon has the potential to become one of the most exceptional players in our program's history."
That's quite a statement about someone who has only played approximately a dozen college games, considering the fact that Green has seen two of his former Liberty Lady Flames—Frazee and Katie (Feenstra) Mattera—advance to the WNBA after graduation.
Even though Brown has been able to make things look very easy on the hardwood at times, she admits that it has been a challenge to adapt to both life as a college student and the level of play in NCAA Division I women's basketball. However, she quickly followed that admission by stating, "I like challenges."
Brown relishes a good challenge, but her presence in the Liberty lineup has created a number of unwanted challenges for opposing coaches. Megan Frazee may have graduated, but the Lady Flames' opponents still have four more years to deal with a talented scorer wearing uniform No. 40.
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Paul Carmany is an Assistant Athletics Communications Director who covers Liberty's women's basketball program.
The first game of any sports season is always accompanied by heightened levels of excitement and anticipation, for players, coaches and fans alike. So, one can imagine the emotions flowing through Devon Brown's body, leading up to the Lady Flames' Nov. 13 season opener against Winston-Salem State at the Vines Center. One day after her 20th birthday and 20 months removed from her last competitive game, Brown quickly proved that her delayed collegiate basketball debut was well worth the wait.
With a host of friends and family from her nearby hometown of Waynesboro, Va., cheering her on, Brown lit up the scoreboard for 26 points, single-handedly matching the Lady Rams' team point total for the game. It is a night Brown won't soon forget.
"That was the best feeling ever," the 5-10 guard recollected. "I had worked so hard over the summer to drop weight and get in shape. When it was finally time to play, I felt like a new woman. It was amazing."
A nearly perfect beginning to her playing career for the Lady Flames came on the heels of a frustrating freshman year. Hopes were high for Brown after she had racked up 2,728 points (second-most in Virginia state history) and 1,329 rebounds (third-most in Virginia state history) during her four years at Waynesboro High School. However, a persistent foot injury sidelined her for the entire 2008-09 campaign.
Despite the setback, Brown believes she benefitted from the injury.
"It was really hard sitting out last year," the sport management major admitted. "However, there are times in life when you face difficult situations like that. I was able to learn a lot of patience and many other things, both basketball-wise and in the classroom."
Brown also had the opportunity to sit back and learn from Megan Frazee, her predecessor in the No. 40 uniform and one of the best players in program history.
"It was good to watch her play," Brown noted of the current member of the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars. "Megan is a good role model, both on the court and off. I really look up to her.
"Megan gave me some good advice going into this season," Brown continued. "She told me to always keep God first and to always play for the name on the front of your jersey."
Brown's production has helped the Lady Flames get off to a strong start this season, despite the graduation of Frazee and six other seniors from last year's Big South title-winning team. Through the first 13 games of her collegiate career, Brown was leading the conference in scoring (17.5 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (8.8 rpg).
Five-time Big South Coach of the Year Carey Green is certainly thankful Brown decided to remain within the Commonwealth and play basketball for the Lady Flames.
"Devon possesses an extraordinary combination of dedication and skills that you don't always find in student-athletes," Green observed. "She has a great shooting touch, attacks the rim well and is good at putting the ball on the floor. Devon also has the ability to become a defensive specialist.
"However, I think her greatest attribute is her rebounding," added Green. "Devon is an exceptional rebounder. She just wants the ball more than everybody else out there."
In fact, Brown has wanted the ball since the age of seven. That's how old she was when she saw a boy dribbling a basketball down the street, past her house. Intrigued by the bouncing ball, Brown raced inside to find her mother, Jennifer. She asked what kind of ball that boy was playing with and said that she wanted to try that sport.
One week later, Jennifer Brown had signed her daughter up for a basketball league at the local YMCA. Brown fell in love with the sport from day one.
"I liked playing basketball the very first time I played," Brown remembered. "I wasn't that great at first, but I still enjoyed playing."
Since that early introduction to basketball, Brown has racked up many points and rebounds. However, her best memory of the sport so far came as the result of her assist.
With Waynesboro trailing rival Turner Ashby by two points, Brown passed the ball to her sister Shanda, who was standing behind the three-point line, wide open. Shanda Brown swished the shot as the buzzer sounded, giving the Little Giants a dramatic 58-57 win and their first berth in the VHSL Group AA state tournament in 17 years.
Brown and her teammates' went on to reach the state championship game, where Waynesboro fell to future Liberty teammate Kylee Beecher's Hidden Valley squad.
Despite Brown's numerous accomplishments already in her basketball career, Green believes the best is yet to come.
"People need to remember that Devon is still young and gaining experience daily," Green observed. "As she continues to mature, grow and develop, Devon has the potential to become one of the most exceptional players in our program's history."
That's quite a statement about someone who has only played approximately a dozen college games, considering the fact that Green has seen two of his former Liberty Lady Flames—Frazee and Katie (Feenstra) Mattera—advance to the WNBA after graduation.
Even though Brown has been able to make things look very easy on the hardwood at times, she admits that it has been a challenge to adapt to both life as a college student and the level of play in NCAA Division I women's basketball. However, she quickly followed that admission by stating, "I like challenges."
Brown relishes a good challenge, but her presence in the Liberty lineup has created a number of unwanted challenges for opposing coaches. Megan Frazee may have graduated, but the Lady Flames' opponents still have four more years to deal with a talented scorer wearing uniform No. 40.
-------
Paul Carmany is an Assistant Athletics Communications Director who covers Liberty's women's basketball program.
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