She has been in a Final Four, played in the ABL and overseas, and now is a big reason the Cleveland Rockers sit atop the WNBA's Eastern Conference standings.

Only two years out of college and Chasity Melvin is living the dream at full tilt in the big city. Currently ranked second in the WNBA in field-goal percentage, the 6'3" Cleveland Rockers forward has helped her team get a promising season underway with a 6-3 record.

But make no mistake, Melvin is not green to the pros, despite entering only her second year of the WNBA. With the ABL's Philadelphia Rage, Melvin averaged 12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 0.6 apg in the shortened 1998-99 season. And in the off-season she plays in Europe, earning a title with her former team, Vigo, in the 1999 Spanish League championship.

A former Kodak All-America player at North Carolina State University, Melvin was the first player in N.C. State history to lead her team in field-goal percentage all four years. She also led the Wolfpack in scoring during her four years in the #44 jersey, a talent which brought her and her team to its first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance in 1998.

In this interview she talks to Gball about what it's like playing ball abroad, the satisfaction of having her college jersey retired, and her team's success so far this year.

Gball: The Rockers are off to a great start this season after a disappointing season last year. What has made the difference in creating the change we're seeing now?
Melvin: the difference is we have a new coaching staff, and the players are just more willing to be more positive and work with the system that we have. And everyone is stepping up to their roles and working towards a turnaround from last season.

You played in Spain for a while and even helped that team to a league championship. How did your experience abroad impact you personally and professionally?
It gave me a lot more confidence and it helped me become a better player. I get to work on my game a lot more when I go overseas. The focus is on me more when I go overseas, because in my case there's only two Americans, so I feel I have to perform well consistently. So that helps with my confidence level and it helps my game. I played in Israel this past season. We made it to the championship finals but we lost.

Coming from the small town of Roseboro in rural Sampson County, N.C., how did you handle adjusting to life in the big cities you've played in: Philadelphia in the ABL and now Cleveland. Was it exciting or challenging?
As I tell everyone, especially from back home, you just get used to it. Before you know it you've adjusted. Everything is a little bit quicker so you have to. When my parents come to visit they're like, "Oh you know your way around. How'd you do it?" And say, "I don't know." You just pick it up. But it helps that I'm younger. I love being in the city right now but I definitely want to go back to North Carolina to live.

You're currently ranked #2 in WNBA field-goal percentage. What's the key to making a good shot, and how do you maintain a good percentage?
The key is just taking good shots, not forcing shots. I don't like to force my game on the offensive end. I like to let it come to me. So I try to take what's open and take good shots.

In February, NC State retired your jersey along with six other women's basketball players during an anniversary celebration for Coach Kay Yow. Did you ever expect to earn such an honor?
No. It was a very big goal of mine and I was really excited. I hated that I missed the ceremony because it was a really big deal for me. I was really excited because when I got to NC State as a freshman I knew David Thompson wore #44 at NC State and I was like, "I want to get my jersey retired so it will be opposite his." It was kind of a lofty goal, but everything worked out.

What has been your favorite on-court moment in your career so far?
I guess my favorite moment was when we won our high school championship when my sisters where on my team in high school. Winning was great overall, but it was special because they were on the team with me. We still play together when we can. I'm hoping my sister Danielle can come overseas with me this season. If not this season, then maybe next year, because she just graduated from East Carolina University. So she's going to try to go overseas and get some experience.

What was it like having Kay Yow as a coach at NC State?
She's a great motivator and she's really persistent. She really stuck with me and believed in me. I came from a very small high school, so when she recruited me she wanted to work with me. I wasn't very well coached in high school, so she wanted to bring me along [and help develop my skills]. She really stuck with me and she made me a really good player.

Did you find it tough, at all, playing women's basketball in an area of the country so obsessed with men's basketball--in terms of getting recognition and fan support?
No. We had quality fan support. It was just hard from the standpoint that we had three ACC schools right within that small region. We had us in Raleigh, Duke in Durham, and UNC in Chapel Hill. So it was hard because the fan base was so [shared]. We had three schools within 25 minutes of each other.

What was it like being on NC State's first women's Final Four team in 1998?
It was great! When I came here my main goal was to get NC State back on top, because I had watched them when they had Rhonda Mapp and Andrea Stinson and Sharon Manning. That's when I really fell in love with NC State and the Wolfpack. And then they had their down years right before I signed. So I wanted to be a part of getting the tradition back up to where it's supposed to be. When we made it to the Final Four it was really great. It was a really special moment, but I was just so happy that I was a part of helping Coach Yow get there.

How has playing pro ball changed your game? Has it improved it?
I think so. I think I've improved my game so much because there's a need for more consistency. You have to do better because you're playing at a much higher level and everyone is good. Whereas when I was in college there were teams that didn't have quite as much talent as yours did. But now it's pretty balanced. You know you're going to play some really good teams every night.

I shoot better free-throws percentage-wise now. I've been working on it. I'm just trying to have a more balanced game--make the outside shot when they leave me open, pass out of the double-teams to get the ball to the shooters. Whereas in college I was just inside mainly.

In the Rockers media guide, it mentions your interest in tennis, softball, volleyball and bowling. Do you think pursuing these other sports helps you as an athlete?
I think it does, because it gives you a respect for every sport and you learn that all athletes work hard, just as hard, or even harder than you do at your sport. I used to look at other sports as easier than what I was doing, but they're just as tough and just as competitive. You have to be focused. [Staying involved in multiple sports] is a challenge, but I think it keeps your competitive edge going.

Tell us about your pre-game superstitions?
I like to wear my socks inside out. I always read a scripture from the Bible and say a prayer. This year my PR person bought me a little Buddha statue and I rub his belly. I just like to be real consistent with something.

For instance, overseas this year before the game I would wear my socks inside out and read my Bible as usual, but I would always give my necklace to one of our managers right before we went to the bench after warm ups. I had to do it every game. I'm a very superstitious person before the game. I have to do the same thing every time. It really hurt me when I came in to the WNBA last year because I didn't have my number. I usually wear #44 and I couldn't get my number last year when I came into the league, and I was just like, "Ugh!" It was just so devastating to me. So each season, if something happens that requires me to do something different in my routine the first game, then I have to do it every game. I stick with it.

Do you worry if you don't complete all your rituals?
No. I don't think that the game won't go well if I don't do them. I just like having consistency and the ritual of it all helps me be focused. I get tunnel vision. I want to be super focused for the game and I don't like things happening differently.

I understand you enjoy reading and movies. What was the most recent movie you enjoyed, and what was the last book you read?
The most recent movie was probably Road Trip. I thought that was really funny. And Big Mama's House. I'm big into comedies. I'm reading The Testament by John Grisham now.

Interview conducted June 20 by Gball Assistant Editor Shelly Wilson.