Jessica Breland: Basketball

 American Professional Basketball Player

Breland's Amazing Story

Breland Discusses Overcoming Cancer and Being Drafted Into the WNBA

Breland Highlight Video

Jessica Breland had an outstanding high school campaign in which she averaged 22 ppg and 12 rpg.  She was an All-American selection by McDonald's, the WBCA, and Parade Magazine as a senior, 2nd team All-American selection by EA Sports, 3rd-Team Street and Smith's All-America pick, Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina as a senior, and a USA U18 Women's National Team Trials Invitee.  Following her highly successful high school campaign, Breland took her talents to the Tar Heel of the University of North Carolina.  In her first year at UNC, Breland appeared in 37 games off the bench and averaged 6.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 14.4 minutes per game.  She was second on the team and 10th in the ACC in blocks with 1.31 per game.  She finished 3rd in the team making 54.4% of field goals but lead all ACC freshmen in field goal percentage.  In her sophomore season, she appeared in all 36 games averaging 10.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg.  She was named the ACC Sixth Player of the Year and finished the season sixth in school history in career blocked shots with 123.  In her third season at UNC, Breland appeared in all 35 games, starting 27.  She averaged 14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 3.1 blocks per game, which was good for 7th in the NCAA and topped the ACC.  As a junior in 2008-2009, she became one of the nation's top all-around players.  She was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 list, led the league in double-doubles with 16, ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in five statistical categories, became the 12th ACC player to record 200 career blocked shots and currently ranks in the top 10 in league history, became the third player in UNC history to record at least 100 blocks in a season, named All-ACC second-team for her efforts, and was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team for her efforts.  In the spring of 2009, Breland was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and spent 6 months undergoing chemotherapy.  After missing the entire 2009-2010 season, Breland was able to return to play for her senior year in which she averaged 12.4 ppg and 7.1 rpg despite only playing 23 minutes per game.  Following her comeback season, Jessica Breland was selected 13th overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 WNBA Draft but was later traded to the New York Liberty.

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