Deanna "Tweety" Nicole Nolan (born Deana Nicole Nolan, August 25, 1979 in Flint, Michigan) is a Russian-American professional basketball player for the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, but occasionally plays the point guard position. Her original name was Deana, but was legally changed to Deanna in 2000.
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| Guard | |
| Born | August 25, 1979 Flint, Michigan |
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| Nationality | Russian-American |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 144 lb (65 kg) |
| College | Georgia |
| Draft | 6th overall, 2001 Detroit Shock |
| WNBA career | 2001–present |
| Profile | WNBA player profile |
| WNBA Teams | |
| Detroit Shock (2001–2009) | |
| Awards and Honors | |
| 5× WNBA All-Star (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) WNBA Finals MVP (2006) All-WNBA First Team (2005, 2007) All-WNBA Second Team (2003) WNBA Champion (2003, 2006, 2008) |
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Deanna "Tweety" Nicole Nolan (born Deana Nicole Nolan, August 25, 1979 in Flint, Michigan) is a Russian-American professional basketball player for the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, but occasionally plays the point guard position. Her original name was Deana, but was legally changed to Deanna in 2000.
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High school years[edit]
Nolan attended Flint Northern High School where she led her team to back to back Michigan state championships in 1994 and 1995, and was crowned as Michigan's 1995 Miss Basketball.
Trivia[edit]
Her favorite basketball players are Allen Iverson and Rajon Rondo
College years[edit]
Nolan graduated in December 2001 with a degree in child and family development from the University of Georgia. Overall she helped the Lady Bulldogs achieve an 86–12 record overall during her collegiate career.
As a senior, Nolan earned 2001 All-SEC Tournament Team honors.
WNBA career[edit]
In the 2001 WNBA Draft, Nolan was selected by the Detroit Shock in the first round (sixth overall). She has been nicknamed "Tweety", and is well known by fans for her amazing vertical leap.
Nolan also helped the Detroit Shock win their first championship in 2003. In 2006, she won another championship with Detroit and was named MVP of the 2006 WNBA Finals.
In 2008, she helped the Shock win their third WNBA Championship. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, she was named the Detroit Shock Player of the Year in voting by members of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.
International career[edit]
In the 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2012-13 WNBA off seasons, she played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg club in Russia.[1]
She obtained a Russian passport in order to not count against the team's allowed number of foreign players. She stated during 2008 that she hoped to play for the Russian Olympic team, but was passed over in favor of Becky Hammon.
