Anna DeForge's Collegiate Honors
-
1997 and 1998 Associated Press All-American
-
1997 and 1998 First-Team All-Big 12
-
1997 and 1998 Honorable-Mention
-
1998 Honorable-Mention Academic All-Big 12
-
1994, 1996, 1997 CableVision Classic MVP
-
1998 WNIT Final Four All-Tournament
One of the best all-around players in Nebraska history, Anna DeForge earned honorable-mention All-America honors from The Associated Press in both 1996-97 and 1997-98, while claiming first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors in both seasons. She also earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament team as a junior in 1996-97.
Along with her accomplishments on the court, DeForge was a strong performer in the classroom, earning honorable-mention academic All-Big 12 honors in 1996-97 and 1997-98. DeForge's success earned her one of five spots on Nebraska's All-Century Team announced in February of 2000.
DeForge ranks fifth in total points (1,859), fourth in total rebounds (804), fifth in assists (392) and sixth in steals (222). DeForge's 15.9 points per game rank as the seventh-highest career average and her 6.9 rebounds per game rank eighth all time at Nebraska.
DeForge scored a career-high 33 points in an 84-76 loss at Colorado on Jan. 7, 1998, and set a career best with 15 rebounds in a 78-53 win over the Buffaloes in Lincoln on Feb. 22, 1998.
The Niagara, Wis., native produced 611 points and 260 rebounds as a senior to rank eighth on Nebraska's single-season scoring chart and ninth on NU's season rebounding chart, while helping the Huskers to the second NCAA Tournament victory in school history. In a 76-59 drubbing of New Mexico at Norfolk, Va., on March 13, 1998, DeForge scored 13 points to go along with a career-high tying 15 rebounds and six assists. She added 17 points and nine rebounds in the final game of her Husker career in a 75-60 loss at No. 2 Old Dominion in the tournament's second round.
DeForge went on to become a second-round draft pick of the San Jose Lasers in the 1999 American Basketball League Draft. She was also the first Nebraska player to earn a spot on a WNBA regular-season roster after starting the 2000 season with the Detroit Shock. DeForge averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game as a WNBA rookie.
In 2003, She led the Phoenix Mercury with 11.9 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.
In 2004, DeForge became a WNBA All-Star by ranking 10th in the league with 14.4 points per game, while leading the WNBA in minutes played and three-pointers made (70). She added 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game on the year.
In 2005, she continued to rank among the league's top players with 13.1 points, 3.5 boards, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game for Phoenix.
She was traded to Indiana before the 2006 season and enjoyed another solid season. She averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for the Fever, while continuing to rank as one of the top long range shooters in WNBA history.
DeForge earned her second trip to the WNBA All-Star Game in 2007. She averaged 8.7 points per game on the year, but erupted for 16.8 points per game during Indiana's playoff run, including 25 points per game in the first round against Connecticut. She tied a career high with 31 points in the opening game against the Sun. DeForge spent the 2008 WNBA season with the Minnesota Lynx. She was released from her contract with Minnesota in June of 2009.
While her WNBA career ended in 2009, DeForge has continued her professional career overseas. She enters her 15th professional season playing for USK Praha in the Czech Republic. In 2011-12, she played 14 games in EuroCup for Pankup Ted Kayseri Kolejspor in Turkey, while playing 23 Turkish League games on the year. She played 11 games for Hondarribia-Irun in Spain in 2010-11, after playing 18 games and averaging 15.5 points per game for the club in 2009-10. She played six games for Besiktas Istanbul in Turkey in 2008-09.
During her most successful WNBA stint, DeForge also played for Wisla Can-Pak Krakow in Poland from 2005-06 through 2007-08. In her three seasons with Wisla Can-Pak, she played 97 Polish Leauge games and three Euroleague contests.
Career Stats at Nebraska
Year
G-GS
FG-FGA
Pct.
3FG-3FGA
Pct.
FT-FTA
Pct.
Reb.-Avg.
TP-Avg.
A
S
1994-95
27-24
128-311
.412
46-138
.333
37-55
.673
185-6.9
339-12.6
86
43
1995-96
29-29
159-370
.430
29-94
.309
73-89
.820
197-6.8
420-14.5
100
51
1996-97
28-28
185-402
.460
30-78
.385
89-114
.781
162-5.8
489-17.5
86
62
1997-98
33-33
224-543
.412
50-156
.320
117-151
.775
260-7.9
611-18.5
120
66
Totals
117-114
694-1,626
.427
155-464
.334
316-409
.773
804-6.8
1,857-15.9
392
222