Imagine going more than two seasons without a loss. Imagine winning three straight national titles. For Alia Fischer and her Washington University teammates, those thoughts became realities as the Bears earned the NCAA Division III title again this season.

So who's had the most successful college program in the country over the past three season? Connecticut? Tennessee? Nope. Washington University in St. Louis has enjoyed more success over the last three seasons than most schools could even imagine in a decade. The Bears have won three straight NCAA Division III titles and 68 consecutive games. Only one college basketball team has won more games in a row--the UCLA men, who won 88 straight from 1971-74.

And the best player on the team for the past three years has been 6-3 center Alia Fischer. As a matter fact, Fischer hasn't just been the best player on the team, she's been the best in the country, earning Division III Player of the Year honors from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 1998, 1999, and 2000. She leaves Washington University with nine school records, including career marks for points (1,974, 17.0 per game), rebounds (937, 8.1 per game) and blocked shots (219, 1.9 per game). Carrying a double major in French and marketing, the Rochester, Minn., native has also been named to the Dean's List every semester and earned Academic All-American honors for three straight seasons.

In this interview, Fischer talks about playing for such a successful program, her recruiting experience, playing in the University Athletic Association (UAA), and what she plans to do after graduation.

GBall: What's it been like playing for a team that didn't lose a game for over two years?
Fischer: It's been awesome. The team I played with is just amazing--the chemistry and the friendships and the experiences we've had together. As far as not losing, I can't really fathom the fact that we didn't lose for two-plus years. I think it's something I'll probably look back on and say, "Wow, that was pretty neat." But we were just so focused on one game at a time that I don't think it's really hit me how cool it is.

Did you feel any pressure to keep the streak alive?
No, not at all. We were very focused on taking each game as it came and preparing for each opponent, one at a time. I think there was maybe external pressure on us, but we didn't feel it within the team at all.

Was taking everything one game at a time something you did to avoid becoming over-confident?
That starts with Coach [Nancy] Fahey. She has us focused on that attitude, and that any time you overlook an opponent they can beat you. We weren't good enough that we could step out and not play the game and still win. We respected every opponent and took each game as it came.

Did winning the title feel any different this year than it did in the past?
I think each one is different. Sophomore year was the exhilaration of, "Wow, this is the first time this has happened." This year it was incredibly emotional being that there were five seniors who are graduating. For us, it was a great way to wrap things up. I think every game and every championship has its own unique feel.

As a sophomore, you were named the Division III player of the year. Did that help going into your junior season or was that a hindrance?
I don't think it helped or hindered me. It was something that came as a surprise when we heard about it. It was neat at the time, and then it kind of passed and I got back down to business. I didn't really think about it at all. Maybe other teams thought about it, but it didn't really affect me one way or the other.

What was the recruiting process like for you?
I wasn't heavily recruited, so I sent stuff to a lot of schools trying to find out more information about basketball and academics and happened to send something to Wash. U. They called back when they got it and said they were interested. So I went down to visit and then it went from there. It turned out to be the right mix of academics and athletics.

What was it that appealed to you the most about Washington University?
I think the balance overall. It's a first-rate program. We fly to our conference games and we get treated really well. Plus, the whole academic side. It's a highly-renowned institution and that balance was what really drew me to it. The campus has a really closed campus feel and I was really looking for that. It was the right size and everything just fell into place.

What's it like playing in the University Athletic Association (a Division III conference made up prestigious schools throughout the United States such as the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, and New York University)?
It's a great conference. We fly out from Thursday to Sunday and play two games. We get to see places like Boston, D.C., New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. It's a great league to play in and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it. I think there are probably a lot of Division I schools that aren't exposed to the kind of travel and schedule that we're able to have.

How important is it that the UAA has a lot of schools that are well renowned academically?
I think it's a common bond. You know that in every game, you go out there and you respect these people as athletes as well as students. All of the schools have great reputations and have a common goal in mind for their student-athletes, and that makes it a great league. It's competitive and you have a certain respect for someone who is getting a great education and playing in a great athletic program.

You've been an Academic All-American throughout your career. How do you balance the demands of athletics and academics?
I think athletics really helps to balance the academics. I think I would probably be much worse off if I had nothing to do and nothing to structure my time. The fact that you have practice two or three hours a day and all the travelling, you have to get things done at certain points. And the farther you get along in school, the more you understand what stuff is necessary and what's not, and building it all around your athletic schedule. At Wash. U. it's great because if you have class during a practice, you're going to go to class. If you have a test the night of a game, they'll reschedule the test for you. It's very balanced and the coaches work well with us making sure that academics are our first priority, and that really helps.

How did you end up having a double major in French and marketing?
French came about because I took French in high school and I really enjoyed it, so I just kept taking it. I started to think I should have a practical side, too, so I went with the business route. I'm not sure why I choose marketing--it just kind of happened that way.

What are your plans for next year? Are looking to play professionally?
I'm keeping that option open and talking to a couple of people to see what possibilities might be out there. If I don't end up playing, I'm probably going to do AmeriCorps. I'm looking at maybe going to Boston for that. Right now, I'm just being flexible and waiting to see what comes up. It would be great to play, but at the same time, I've got a lot of other things that I could do if I decide not to.

Are you looking at playing in the WNBA, Europe, or both?
Right now a little bit of both. I think it's probably a long shot to play here, but I would really enjoy that opportunity if I got it. As far as going to Europe, I'm not sure if I would do that or not, but I'm keeping all my options open.

Can you talk a little about the AmeriCorps program and what appeals to you about that?
It's a domestic version of the Peace Corps. It's all across the country. Basically you volunteer for a year; you get paid a stipend, but it's just enough to live on. One program I was looking at working with is Habitat for Humanity, but there are a bunch of options--you can work with kids, you can work with the homeless, you can work in inner cities, rural areas. It's all over. I've always enjoyed working with people and being involved in the community. Right now I'm kind of in a transition phase, I guess. I don't really want to put my degree to use right now. I will probably end up going back to school eventually, but I don't know what I want to do and I don't really want to shell out the money to pay for something I'm not going to use. It would be a good transition experience just to live somewhere else and do something different.

Do you ever watch Division I games and wonder what things would have been like if you had gone to a Division I school?
Yes, every once in a while. I watch them on TV when they're on and I went to the Division I Final Four, but it's not something that I dwell on. I don't look and think, "Why didn't I try to play Division I? What was I thinking?" or anything like that. I couldn't be more pleased with the decision I made. It would be interesting to see how I would maybe stack up with them, but I have no regrets whatsoever.

Has it sunk in yet that the season is over?
It hit me real hard the first few days after we came back. I just had this pit in my stomach everywhere I went. Now I think I'm getting used to that fact. I think it will probably hit again next year, when the season is starting up again, and I have a feeling that will be a rough time period.

What do you think you'll remember most when you look back at your college career?
Definitely the people. The memories I have with my team. The people who have made the experience what it has been. My teammates are incredible and so are my coaches, but I'll also remember the little things like being around the athletic complex and all the people, the administration and the other coaches, and hanging out with the men's team and their coaches, and being able to travel. The stupid things we do off the court, our inside jokes and stuff like that. You'll remember little parts of the games here and there, but it's definitely the people who made it what it was.

Do you think your team received the recognition it deserved for what it did?
I think St. Louis did a phenomenal job of covering us once the streak started building. I think we had every news station out at multiple times, both when we hit 60 and then for the national championships. The paper did a great job. They had somebody follow us around for a little while to get the inside story of what we do as a team. For a Division III program, we had a phenomenal amount of support. We had great crowds this year. I think we got a lot of recognition and the community really rallied around that, too.

Is anybody there talking about the UCLA record?
It's not the nature of our team to really talk about it. I can maybe talk about it now because I'm graduating, but nobody on the team is going to start thinking if we get 20 more wins in a row we'll hit that record. I think they have the potential to do it, but they have to keep maintaining the one-game-at-a-time philosophy, which I don't think will be a problem with Coach Fahey at the helm. I think it's realistic, but it won't be a goal at all. It's going to be the same philosophy, and if it happens, that's great. And if it doesn't, we've still accomplished quite a bit.

What kind of advice would you have for younger players out there who think they want to play basketball in college?
I would say keep playing hard and enjoying the game, and find the situation that's right for you. If you want to put all the time in to play Division I, that's phenomenal. But if you think you might be happier somewhere else, do that. And keep things in perspective and keep a good balance in your life.

Interview conducted in April by Gball Assistant Editor Dennis Read.