In October, Allison Feaster was part of a four-player deal that sent Rhonda Mapp and EC Hill from the Sting to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Feaster and Clarisse Machanguana. As a member of the Sparks, Feaster was primarily a backup player, but she has started her first nine games with the Sting, averaging 13.3 points (second on the team) and 5.1 rebounds per game while playing 33 minutes per contest.

Feaster is certainly no stranger to the spotlight, though. She was a three-time Ivy League Player of the Year at Harvard, where she set school records for points (2,312), rebounds (1,314), and steals (308). Feaster also set South Carolina's high school career scoring record (3,427) while earning valedictorian honors at her high school.

In this interview, Feaster talk about making the transition from backup to starter, high school to college, and the Ivy League to the WNBA.

Gball: What kind of differences are there for you between being a starter and a backup player?
Feaster: I feel a lot more relaxed as a starter. As a backup player you have nerves about trying to make a difference when you get in the game. You hope things don't go the wrong way because you really can't play through your mistakes--if you make a mistake, most of the time the coach will pull you out and put someone else back in. As a starter, I feel a lot more relaxed when I'm on the court.

Was it difficult for you when you were coming off the bench and not playing as much?
It wasn't really difficult because I accepted the role the coach gave me and tried to do it the best that I could. I tried to really be a defensive spark when I came off the bench. I was very positive about what I was doing to help the team.

How did you deal with coming out of college where you had a lot of success and played a lot of minutes to the pros where you had to prove yourself all over again?
It was difficult because the game is so different at the professional level. The competition is a lot greater, but you really have to work hard to find something that separates you from the next person, because there are a lot of women who want to play WNBA basketball.

Did you ever get discouraged during that time?
I was a little discouraged because during my first WNBA season, I broke my foot. So I had to watch from the sidelines the entire season. I didn't know if I would be able to come back and play as well as I was playing before.

How did you get through that?
I had a lot of support from my husband and my family. I took time off to heal and then I played basketball overseas.

What did you learn from that time?
I learned a lot. I got a chance to watch every game and study the game to see what separates the good players from the great players. I also learned patience--and that things happen for a reason. It was a blessing in disguise that I was injured because I got a chance to learn so much. I'm not sure if I was ready to play guard after coming out of college where I was a forward.

What was your reaction when you heard you were traded?
I was a little surprised. I expected L.A. to make some changes, but I didn't know who would go and who would stay. But I really feel good about it now. My hometown is 45 minutes from Charlotte so I have a chance to play in front of family and friends again, and I'm playing a lot more. I feel like this is a different challenge for me.

What's it like playing for Anne Donovan?
I really like it. I have a lot of respect for her position and her knowledge of the game. I have a lot of respect for her as a person because she really motivates you to work hard on the court. And I don't think our record right now reflects what she's brought to our team. For example, last night, we were leading L.A. at halftime and were neck and neck through the second half. It was a game we nearly won. I feel we just started the season the wrong way. We lost some games we should not have lost and now we're playing a lot better.

Is it difficult being on a team that's not as successful as you had been in L.A.?
It's tough to lose, but if the team is going down fighting I really respect that. We're not satisfied with losing, but I'd rather take a team with a lot of hard workers and people with a lot of heart than a team with a lot of stars.

Why do you play overseas during the offseason?
I do it for a number of reasons. I do it for the cultural experience. I do it because I enjoy being in another country. I've played in France the last two seasons and I enjoy being there. It gives me an opportunity to really work on my game and do things I wouldn't necessarily do in the WNBA.

What are your plans after your playing career ends?
I haven't really been able to think about that too much because I've been focused on basketball year round. I'll think about pursuing the career I was interested in after college which was in the financial services industry or perhaps I'll teach or coach or volunteer my time with young girls.

How did you go about making the decision to pursue basketball as your career coming out of college?
I realized there's nothing better than to have a job that allows you to do something you love and get paid for it--while being able to be a role model and reach out to young people. I see that in being a professional WNBA player, so that choice was simple to make.

Coming out of high school, why did you choose Harvard over a more high-profile basketball school?
Coming out of high school, Harvard to me had the best reputation in the world as an institution of higher learning. Harvard is the premier academic school, so I really could not pass up the opportunity to attend. It has such a diverse student body. It has such well-respected faculty members. The basketball in the Ivy League is respected as well and we were able to get some national attention while I was there. I really couldn't pass up that opportunity.

Was the win over Stanford (Feaster scored 35 points as Harvard beat top-seeded Stanford in the 1998 NCAA playoffs) the highlight of your career?
That was one of the greatest moments for me in my basketball career and personally as well because we had a group of women that wasn't the most talented basketball players, but we had a lot of heart. And that victory reminds me that it doesn't matter who is on your team, it matters how hard you work, and how much you believe in what you're doing.

How often do you think about that game?
I think about it a lot. I have a picture of one of my teammates after the game and the expression on her face just takes me back to that moment. Or I'll come across people while traveling who remember the game or even people I play against. Jamila Wideman was one of my teammates a while back [Wideman was on the Stanford team Harvard beat in '98], and we would talk about it a little.

How did you balance the basketball and the academics at Harvard?
It was difficult, but coming out of high school I played three sports, I had a job on the weekends, and I was valedictorian of my class. So I took that to Harvard with me. I had to work two jobs at Harvard to help pay for school as well as balance my class load with basketball and it was pretty difficult. But that's what's expected of a Harvard student and I did it.

Was it tougher making the academic transition from high school to Harvard or making the basketball transition from Harvard to the WNBA?
I think that academic transition was tougher. In high school, you're forced to sit in class and pay attention and listen. You're forced to be responsible for class work. You have your mom looking over your shoulder making sure your homework gets done. At Harvard, you have a choice. You don't have to go to class. You don't have to get up in the morning and go to a lecture. You don't have to come home after practice and study. You're totally on your own with that. Sometimes it was tough to make the right decisions academically, but it was doable.

What advice do you have for younger players who want to play basketball, but are trying to find a balance between academics and basketball?
I would say to, first of all, believe everyday that you can do anything you want to do--which is something my mother always told me--but it's going to take a lot of hard work. You might not see the rewards in the short term, but if you continue to work hard at what you're doing the long term benefits will be great. I would definitely say to make basketball secondary in your mind because you never know. Playing professional basketball is such an uncertain thing because you never know when you may get injured or a better player may come along. So focus on something that no one can take away from you, and that's earning a high school diploma or a college degree. Then in your spare time, really try to be the best you can on the court, in case you do have that opportunity to be a professional player.

Interview conducted by Gball Assistant Editor Dennis Read.

Photo: (AP Photo/Scott Audette)


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