Sept. 12, 2005
Fairfax, Va.--Former George Mason University women's basketball stand-out, Jen Derevjanik, is wrapping-up her second season with the WNBA's Connecticut Sun this month as the Sun will compete in the WNBA Finals for the second-straight season. According to espn.com, Derevjanik is expected to be in the starting line-up for just the second time this season as the Sun's starting point guard, Lindsay Whalen, is out with an injury.
Derevjanik is just the second player in Mason's history to play in the WNBA and the first to be a part of a team that has advanced to the WNBA Finals.
The Sun swept both Detroit and Indiana to help secure its appearance in the 2005 WNBA Finals and will now play a best- of-five game series against Sacramento, beginning on Sept. 14 at the Mohegan Sun Arena on ESPN2 (8 p.m.). Connecticut defeated the Monarchs in both meetings during the regular season as the Sun won by a score of 61-50 (June 24) in Sacramento and again on June 28 in Uncasville, Conn. (70-66).
Derevjanik has played in 34 regular season games this year for the Sun and four playoff contests heading into the Sacramento series. The Staten Island native averaged 10.6 minutes and 1.2 assists per game during the regular season and tied for a team fifth-best 40 rebounds. In the four playoff contests, Derevjanik tied for a team second-best nine assists, four of which were tied for a team-high in the Sun's 77-67 overtime win against Indiana on Sept. 10 in Connecticut.
Derevjanik started a school record 116 consecutive games for Mason and is among the top-5 all-time in Mason's history books in four categories, including third in both assists (469) and points (1,637). Derevjanik was also named to the 2004 Academic All-America Women's Basketball District III University Division First Team and went on to earn conference All-Academic accolades for her efforts in the classroom.
This is the third consecutive year in which a new champion will be crowned as the Sacramento Monarchs will make their first appearance in the Finals.
