Japreece Dean, the No. 30 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, is currently playing for the Adelaide Lightning of the WNBL. The former All-Pac-12 First Team selection at UCLA (2017-20) is known as a true floor general, commanding the respect of her teammates and rivals despite her small stature.
In a conversation with Swish Appeal, she discussed her impressive handles, the coaching change in Adelaide, her time at UCLA, and her start in the professional realm in Russia. Some highlights from the discussion include:
On being underestimated due to her size:
Despite my size, teams have sometimes chosen other options. I excel at rebounding as a guard. Since the opposing player isn’t crashing the boards in my position, they focus on defense, allowing me to grab a few rebounds. While I can rebound well, they typically prefer bigger guards mainly for defensive reasons.
On the drills she used to enhance her dribbling skills:
I owe a huge thanks to my coach, Shawn Hardeman, from Ball Hard, his training company. That’s where I honed my ball-handling skills to an elite level. Through consistent practice and repetition, it became second nature to me. We often used a heavier ball on grass or turf, making it challenging to control, but it significantly improved my dribbling abilities.
Special thanks to Lorenzo Gallotti of Two Points agency for facilitating the interview.
