Deanna Nolan
Deanna Nicole "Tweety" Nolan (born August 25, 1979) is a retired American-Russian basketball player. She mainly played as a shooting guard and sometimes as a point guard. Born in Flint, Michigan, she led Flint Northern High School to back-to-back Michigan state championships in 1994 and 1995 and was Michigan Miss Basketball in 1995.
Nolan played college basketball at the University of Georgia from 1997 to 2001. She helped the Lady Bulldogs post an 86-12 record during her time there and earned All-SEC Tournament Team honors as a senior in 2001. She earned a degree in child and family development in December 2001.
In the 2001 WNBA draft, Nolan was selected by the Detroit Shock in the first round (sixth overall). She helped the Shock win WNBA championships in 2003, 2006 (when she was Finals MVP), and 2008. She was a five-time WNBA All-Star (2003–2007) and earned All-WNBA honors (First Team in 2005 and 2007; Second Team in 2003). She also played for the Russia women's national basketball team and spent several seasons abroad with UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia and with A.S. Ramat-Hasharon in Israel. She obtained Russian citizenship to play overseas.
Nolan was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in October 2024. She is known for her leaping ability and the nickname "Tweety."
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:07 (CET).