- Our new contributor, Bob Flynn, brings news from Europe, where three former William & Mary players (Jazmen Boone, Emily Correal and Kaitlyn Mathieu) are on professional rosters. Two more, Taysha Pye and Mackenzie Morrison, also played professionally after their Tribe careers came to an end.
That’s not much of a surprise to W&M coach Ed Swanson.
“They’ve had great players here,” said Swanson, who is preparing for his fifth season in Williamsburg. “But I think kids come here with two focuses. Obviously, academics is a major focus, and they are provided a great opportunity by the education they are getting here. They are passionate about basketball as well.”
Minus the books, they can devote even more time to their game, and the improvements can be more impressive. She’s played in Ireland since graduating from William & Mary in 2015, earning the Victory Scholarship that allowed her to pursue a degree in Global Financial Information Systems while attending the Waterford Institute of Technology. Recently graduated Alexandra Masaquel was just named a Victory Scholar and will be joining Boone in Ireland.
These days Boone stars for the Liffey Celtics; she was named Premier League Player of the Year in June 2016.
“When you get that opportunity to focus solely on basketball as your job, some kids really take off,” Swanson said
Correal, whose W&M career ended in 2013, is beginning her first season in Belgium after playing in Switzerland, Sweden and Italy. Mathieu (W&M 2014) has played in Denmark, Germany, the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Luxembourg.
LadySwish via Flynn checked in with Boone through emails to get her thoughts on playing overseas.
Q: W&M’s program has been on the rise the past 5-10 years, but still is not known as a basketball power. Does it surprise you with the number of former Tribe players playing professionally?
Jazmen: No it doesn’t surprise me at all. William and Mary’s basketball program is an up-and-coming basketball program. However, a team program does not accurately reflect the level of talent and skill an individual basketball player has.
Q: Did you always want to play professionally?
Jazmen: I never really thought about playing professionally until my senior year of college. After my senior season ended, I knew I wasn’t ready to give up playing basketball entirely and decided to give overseas basketball a chance.
Q: How did you end up playing where you are?
Jazmen: A program called Sport Changes Life, headquartered in Belfast, Ireland, is the reason why I continued my playing career overseas. The program brings over American college players who have an interest in coaching, playing, and earning a master’s degree all in one year.
Q: Did any WNBA teams show an interest in you?
Jazmen: No.
Q: What is the best thing about playing professionally?
Jazmen: Immersing yourself in a completely different culture than the United States and the ability to travel to other countries nearby for cheap prices.
Q: What is the worst thing about playing professionally?
Jazmen: Being away from home, family and friends. You really have to learn how to be completely independent fast and accept the fact that you’ll be away from your loved ones.
Q: Have you come across any language barriers?
Jazmen: Luckily no. Everyone in Ireland speaks English.
Q: Do you have any advice on other players who want to play professionally?
Jazmen: 1. Make the most of the opportunity when a team expresses interest. Not everyone gets the opportunity to do so. 2. Work hard. There won’t always be someone there telling you to go to lift or work out, so bring discipline to be willing to do that every day. 3. Definitely put yourself outside of your comfort zone. Learn their language, make friends, socialize with your team, etc. Make the most of the opportunity. Also, travel when you get the chance. 4. Don’t come overseas with an “entitlement” attitude.
Q: What do you miss the most about the States?
Jazmen: My family and friends 100 percent.
Q: Any positive surprises about playing overseas?
Jazmen: The people in Ireland are super friendly and the country is beyond beautiful, a lot of green.
Q: Biggest misconception Americans have about where you are playing (or have played)?
Jazmen: There are no leprechauns or pots of gold in Ireland.
Q: Have you been able to explore your new country in your free time?
Jazmen: My first year in Ireland I traveled the entire country. My second and now third upcoming season, I haven’t because I work a lot, (so it’s) tough to do fun things like that.
Q: What is your schedule like?
Jazmen: Preseason is four times a week of tough training. A couple of tournaments and friendly matches will be scheduled as well. Once season starts, we train 2-3 times a week with a game every week. Training sessions are on average two hours.
Q: How long do you anticipate playing?
Jazmen: Forever if I could. I really want to try another league before giving up playing entirely.
Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t playing pro ball? Is that what you will get into when your playing career is over?
Jazmen: Like most of us in this world, I have no clue. I had a Plan B (join the military) or Plan C (probably try college coaching) or Plan D (try for business IT jobs). With that said, I’m happy Plan A worked out completely.
Q: Does your family get to see you play?
Jazmen: Yes, my dad and sister got to see me play for the first time this year outside of watching the streamed games. Good for my sister as she’s a young aspiring basketball player getting exposed to the style and play of basketball at an international level.
Q: How long was it before you got over being homesick? (Assuming you have).
Jazmen: My first season, probably not until the end of season. I was fortunate enough to be with a club that looked after me completely, which makes a big difference in the overseas experience. My second season I’d say around Thanksgiving/Christmas time.
Q: How often do you get back to the U.S.?
Jazmen: Unfortunately, (just) twice a year.
Q: When does your season run?
Jazmen: Preseason starts August/September. Season goes from October – March/April, depending if you qualified for playoffs.
Q: Have you run into Emily or Kaitlyn in your travels?
Jazmen: No unfortunately, but I would have loved to!
Q: How would you compare the league you are in to leagues in the U.S.? Is it like the WNBA, Division I, or something in between?
Jazmen: I would say the teams at the top of the table (standings) in the league would be similar to lower Division I teams; lower tabled teams would be in between Division I and Division II.
Stay tuned. We’re hoping to hear from Emily and Kaitlyn, too!
*Photos courtesy of Jazmen Boone.