Deanna Nolan was born August 25,1979 in Flint, Michigan. She is the daughter of Virgina Nolan and Phillip Murphy. Deanna has two brothers and one sister. Omar, Chris and Lekia. Deanna lost her father a week before her 1st birthday. She has been playing basketball since she was little. She graduated from Flint Northern High School in Flint Michigan in 1996, then went on to the University of Georgia and graduated from there in December of 2001. Now at the age of 22 she plays a starting position for the W.N.B.A Eastern Conference leading team The Detroit Shock.

Deanna went to Flint Northern High School where she led her team to two MHSAA state championships in 1994 and 1995. Deanna was named Michigans Miss Basketball in 1995. She also graduated from Northern in 1996.

In 1997 She went The University of Georgia on an athletic basketball scholarship, where she majored in C.H.F.D (Child and Family Development). As a sophomore at Georgia she averaged 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs Final Four team. She scored her season high of 23 points against Vanderbilt in the regular season. The as a junior she averaged 12.1 points, finished 32-4, won the SEC championship and advanced to the N.C.A.A regional finals.


As a senior during the first 15 games she averaged 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assist & steals. She was also shooting 50.3% from the field (74-for-147). During the 1999-2000 seasons, both coaches and Second Team All-SEC by Associated Press named her First Team All-SEC. She also was named to the Kodak District 3 All-American team.

In 1999 her team reached the N.C.S.S Final Four and in 2000 the reached the N.C.S.S Elite Eight.

During the 2000-2001 seasons she was named Second Team All-SEC by both coaches and the media and was also named to the All-SEC Tournament team. Standing at 6`2 she earned the honor of being called Michael Jordan of womens basketball by the coach at Vanderbilt. In December of 2001 she graduated from the University of Georgia.

In 2001 Deanna entered the W.N.B.A draft. The Detroit Shock selected Deanna with the sixth overall pick. In 27 games, all of the bench, She finished the season out with 192 pts, 6 blks, 30 ast, 17 stls & 21 3-pts.

Among rookies ranked third in FT percentage for the season and eighth in scoring average with 7.1 ppg. Missed four games (6/16 - 6/23) due to a first degree left knee medial/collateral ligament sprain she suffered in the first half vs. Washington (6/14). She led the bench in scoring in 14-of-27 contests she played, three of which were consecutive 10-plus point outings.

In her 2nd season she started all 32 games. All of her figures doubled. She finished the season out with 227 pts, 12 blks, 62 ast, 37 stls & 42 3-pts. She was the Detroit Shocks full-time off-season community relations player from February 1 - April 26, 2002. She participated in the Shocks unique "Student For A Day" community relations program, appearing at over 30 schools in Detroit, Michigan. She also conducted basketball clinics and other appearances.

In the off-season before her 3rd year she played overseas in Italy for the Reyer. 

Her 3rd year with the Shock, she was 6-0 tall, starting at guard and forward and she was one of the key players. Her stats for 2003 were 396 pts, 83 ast, 41 stls and 14 blks. She hit her season high of 27 pts against the Indiana Fever on July 17,2003.

The 2003 season was a great season for Deanna. She was playing better than she ever played befor in her W.N.B.A career, she was an W.N.B.A All-Star where she had 15pts, and to top it all off her team won the Eastern Conference Championship and the W.N.B.A World Championship where no one thought they would win.

In the off season she played in Spain for the Mann.