Don't make the mistake of assuming that a ball player nicknamed "Tweety" is easy prey. Deana Nolan is tough, tenacious, and tremendously talented. Named to the All-Southeastern Conference first team, she is Georgia's best all-around player--who has spent the last two years working hard on both her game and her academics.

According to press reports, Deana "Tweety" Nolan is the best athlete on the Georgia Lady Bulldogs' roster. Given the other members of the team, such a statement should immediately focus your attention on this six-foot-tall junior guard/forward. She certainly grabbed the attention--and a lot of the ball--in Georgia's West Region Second Round game, when the Lady Bulldogs mauled the Stanford Cardinal 83-64. Tweety scored 20 points and dished out six assists during the win.

Alas, Georgia's run for the title was when it ran into Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights tamed the Lady Bulldogs 59-51 in the West Region Final.

But Nolan's team has nothing to be ashamed of--Georgia went 31-3 during the regular season. Perhaps its most memorable moment came when it handed Tennessee its worst SEC loss in years as Tweety scored 25 points to lead her team to a 78-51 victory over the powerhouse from Knoxville.

But, what's most impressive about Nolan is what she has done with her natural talent. She has combined it with a tremendous work ethic that has shown on the court in improved performance. Last year, she shot 63.2 percent from the free throw line, this year she bumped it up to 78.2. And it wasn't just free throws that she worked hard at: her field goal percentage improved from a 41.7 percent success rate to 55.4.

She has also applied that same discipline to her studies. Tweety was initially ineligible due to academics, and was unable to play for one and one-half years until she was able to qualify academically. But, she persevered in her school work and was able to take the court in December of 1998. She hasn't looked back since.

What's next? Well, some believe that Tweety may be one of the first college women's players to dunk during a game. All eyes will be on her next year to see whether she will be able to go above the rim, and whether the team will be able to cut down the nets in St. Louis at the 2001 Final Four.

Gball: Coach Andy Landers says that, "In terms of her athleticism, Deana Nolan is as good as anyone we've ever had." Do you work at being athletic or do you feel it's just a natural gift?

Nolan: I think it comes from when I was younger, I used to play with a lot of guys. We'd fool around--try to do different moves. I've fine-tuned them and that's how I think I've become athletic. I dribble, and I'm doing really difficult moves. That way I become used to it.

If a girl wants to play like you do, what kind of advice would you give her?
I would tell her to practice hard. I don't mean 24 hours a day, but do a little shooting on your own, it makes you better. Work on your fundamentals. And I would tell her to be a team leader and be more outspoken.

You've been attempting to dunk in some past games. Is this a goal for you?
It's not much of a goal, but if it happens, it happens. Coach says that if I think I can do it, and if we're up by a great margin, then I can try. If the opportunity comes, then I'll try. But I'm not really looking for it.

Is there any reason why you'd like to dunk?
I think it would help the women's game and open it up a little more because a lot of people see the men's game as being very physical and attractive with the dunking and the moves. So, if something like that happened in the women's game, it would be more noticeable and more people would start being more supportive of the women's game.

I know that you spent some time getting up to speed academically. What was that process like?
I just had to adjust to it, basically adjust from high school work. I would just tell other girls to keep academics first because you can never know what would happen if you got injured. You have to have something to fall back on.

Has academics become more important to you?
Yes, it has. It has been easier for me now that I've gotten into the flow of things.

What have you done this year that has improved your field-goal and free-throw percentages?
I've been doing a lot of shooting and pick-up ball in the preseason. I've been lifting a lot of weights and trying to get my feet up.

A lot of girls have seen Andy Landers on the sidelines of your games. He looks like he might be a little tough. What's he like to play for?
He's really fun to play for, it's just that when he's on the court, he means business. When he's off the court, he's the funnest person you can hang around with.

What was the recruiting process like for you?
The recruiting process was fun at first, and then they started calling me all hours of the day. It can be fun, talking to different coaches, knowing who's interested in you and not interested in you. With taking your visits, you get to see different places and meet a lot of new people.

You're a long way from home. Is it tough on you?
I don't think so. I wanted to get away from home, go out and see new things. Since I had never been to Georgia at that point, I wanted to come out here and see what it's like.

Do you have a favorite part of your game?
I like to play both offense and defense. But now, I think I prefer defense. At the beginning of the season, we weren't really a very good defensive team, but we turned it up at the end of the season and we are just seeing how much better we can get on defense each game.

What are your goals for after college? Do you want to play in the WNBA?
Yeah, part of my goal is to play in the WNBA if the opportunity comes. But if it doesn't, I'm not worried about it. I'm majoring in Child and Family Development. I know I'm going to pursue that as a career. I like kids a lot.

How did you get the nickname "Tweety?"
That came from back in Michigan, I used to practice at this gym for AAU. There was this guy named Spence there, and he used to just call me Tweety Bird. When I came to college down here, at the time, there was a Diana and a Deanne and myself, a Deana. And Coach was always getting them mixed up. So we just came up with that name, and that's how I came by that name.

What's it like playing with the Miller twins? Can you tell them apart?
Yes, I can tell them apart from being around them everyday. A lot of people can't, but I can. It's fun playing with them, because they're such great athletes, and they just go all out every game. They just want to win, and they look for each other and other people on the floor. It's just good to see them so athletic and so emotional about the game.

Have you ever gotten to play on a basketball team with your sister?
No, but I always wonder what it would be like. I think it would be the same way as with the Millers.

Interview conducted in late March by Gball Assistant Editor Lorraine Berry.