September 28, 2015 at 2:16 p.m.
WNBA All-Star draws interest in girls basketball in area
WNBA All-Star draws interest in girls basketball in area
By By Cory Dellenbach-
"It was a great experience, she didn't just go over the simple stuff, there was a lot of technical stuff in there too," said Jena Hueberty of Merrill, who took part in session put on by the Rhinelander Basketball Association and sponsored by Carpet City.
DeForge first worked with girls in grades 3 through 8 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and then met with Rhinelander High School girls basketball players for some instruction.
"I feel I was very blessed with my career and I want to be able to give back and this is my way of giving back, sharing some of the experiences that I've had," DeForge said. "Whether it was in high school, college, WNBA or Europe, I've played at every level. It's really nice for me to be able to share those things and be a part of these young women's dreams."
Bringing in the pro
DeForge, a 1994 graduate of Niagara High School in the northeast corner of the state, played four years of college ball at Nebraska (1994-1998) and entered the WNBA draft in 1998.
The 5-foot, 10-inch guard began her professional career playing with the Detroit Shock WNBA team in 2000; she then played for Phoenix from 2003 and also had stints with Indiana and Minnesota WNBA teams before rejoining Detroit in 2009.
From 2009 until 2013, DeForge had been making the rounds playing for various European professional women's basketball teams. She officially retired four months ago from the sport.
"We start with the basics because the fundamentals in basketball are key," DeForge said. "I've played 17 years and (the fundamentals are) a big reason why my career was so long, so I try and teach that."
DeForge said the clinics can be challenging and frustrating for the youth taking part in them, but she said for a lot of them it's their first time trying the techniques she is teaching.
Youth in Saturday's clinic began by working on basic dribbling skills and then went to more difficult ball movement drills mixed with feet movement. Following those drills, the group went into using those techniques in shooting drills.
The two-time All-American at Nebraska was impressed with what she saw at Rhinelander.
"If they're here, that means they want to be better and they're working on it and if I can help them, then it's gratifying," DeForge said.
With the high school athletes DeForge found herself doing more technical skill training, such as reverse pivots.
"It's easier for me to move along and progress with the higher-level athletes, but sometimes it's harder too because you're breaking old habits with them," DeForge said.
A way to draw interest
After seeing declining girls basketball numbers the last several years, the RBA knew it had to do something to generate interest and create excitement.
"We heard through Brian Diel at Diel Insurance that Anna was back in Wisconsin. He's personal friends with Anna's family," said Leah Van Zile, RBA president. "We hooked up with Anna through Facebook and she said she would love to come up to Rhinelander to teach our girls."
DeForge has been busy since retiring, conducting similar clinics in Appleton, Menasha, Beaver Dam, Milwaukee, Niagara and Madison.
"I'm only about four months into this new business and it's a growing business," DeForge said. "I plan to touch every area of Wisconsin and even get to Nebraska and other places I've played."
Van Zile said the organization was excited with the number of youth who attended the morning clinic.
"We had more than expected girls turn out," Van Zile said. "We drew from all over the area with kids and coaches here from Merrill, Crandon, Elcho and other places. We're hoping this gets the girls thinking about basketball and gets them excited about the upcoming season."
The club hopes to bring DeForge back later in the season for more training with the youth group, taking advantage of having a WNBA player close by.
"Having a Wisconsin player who has been to the pinnacle of basketball is pretty good," Van Zile said. "She's in the trees just like us and she's shared with other small-town schools and they can relate to her. It's neat."
Around the corner
The RBA season is right around the corner. The Little Dribblers and Little Hodags programs kicks off Oct. 3 and runs through Dec. 5. The Little Dribblers is for students in grades 4K to second, while the Little Hodags is for grades third to sixth.
Registration can be done online at www.rhinelanderbasketball.com
The program's seventh- and eighth-grade tournament will be held Oct. 31, while sixth-grade basketball is held in November and December and fifth grade in January and February.
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