It may seem strange that a girl whose motivation to play basketball was fueled by her desire to attend the University of Tennessee would end up a Blue Devil. Mistie Bass dreamed of becoming a Volunteer since sixth grade, but now finds herself at Duke.
"Through my whole career, I've had a goal--I wanted to go to Tennessee," she said. "I think God intended for me to have a goal in order to get to where I am. Tennessee was that goal that brought me here. That was pretty much my motivation, someone told me I couldn't do it and I wanted to do something with it."
When she received her letter of acceptance from Tennessee, she thought the decision was over and she would become a Volunteer. Mistie decided to take all of her official visits, however, with Duke being the first school.
"I decided to take my visits and the coaches here were just so nice," she said. "They were like a whole second family. They treated me just like I had already been on the team. I fit in so well and I was ready to commit the next morning."
Bass, the daughter of legendary singer Chubby Checker, will add strength and power to the Blue Devils' post and is noted for her rebounding skills. With a strong inside presence, Duke may see more of an inside-outside game compared to last year. She is strong down low in the key and has a good sense of the game.
"She fits in exceptionally well with the team, considering she plays center," sophomore Wynter Whitley said. "Normally we would do a five-out motion, but this year we can do a four-out, one-in motion, so she'll help a lot in that aspect."
The 6-foot-3 center, who likes to dance and collect shoes, is described by her teammates as having a funny and outgoing personality. She is also noted for her hard work ethic and fire on the court.
"She's going to be good for us when we play teams with real big posts," junior guard Vicki Krapohl said. "It is going to give us a lot more options. She does a great job shot-faking, getting the defense up in the air. She plays really well with her back to the basket. I think she's going to be a big help for us. She's out there to win."
Bass said she feels that speed is her main weakness and that she will spend the preseason working on conditioning in order to increase her endurance and quickness in getting down the court. Mistie's main goal for the season is becoming a starter.
"I would really like to start," Bass said. "I would like to be a key part of this team and bring my game to the court every day and have that sense of stability. Hopefully my teammates will have the confidence in me that they want me on the court."
Hailing from Janesville, Wis., Bass led her high school team, Parker, to state championships in 2000 and 2001. She attributes her basketball success to all of her coaches, having had the same group throughout her career.
Bass first picked up a basketball in the fifth grade, when one of her teachers asked if she played the game. Bass, who at the time was not involved in any sports, replied that she did not really know what basketball was. Her teacher signed her up for a club traveling team and she ended up playing with that same group of girls all throughout high school.
One of her greatest on-court moments came during her freshman year of high school in the game that would earn her school a conference co-champion title. Bass scored 41 points and her shot at the buzzer sent the game to overtime, leading Parker to a one-point victory.
That was probably the best moment ever," she said. "It was one thing I will never forget."
Bass has earned Miss Wisconsin Basketball honors three consecutive years and was selected first team USA Today All-America. In high school, she had a career 1,906 points and 1,173 rebounds. She was also selected first team All-State her senior year and played for USA Basketball, where she met current teammates Whitley, Alana Beard and Monique Currie.
Bass' array of honors also includes MVP at the AAU 17-&-under Tournament and two-time Gatorade and Associated Press Wisconsin Player of the Year. The three-time USA Today Wisconsin Player of the Year is aware that there are high expectations on the team this year, especially after being ranked No. 1 nationally in the preseason by a number of magazines.
"Being a newcomer and seeing what they accomplished last year with only eight players, I can see the fact that there are pressures, but I have not felt any yet," she said. "To me, it's exciting. It's something to work for."
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