As far as I can tell, of all of the ABL and WNBA players who have played the game, only two of those players are deceased.
If you're more than just a casual fan of the WNBA, you know the first one. Kim Perrot. She died in 1999 from metastatized lung cancer. She was diagnosed in February 1999 and died in August of the same year.
The other player is a little bit more difficult to name. Corissa Yasen died in May 2001 from a drug overdose. High levels of several anti-depressants, painkillers and anxiety medications were found in her toxicology analysis according to the Font of All Knowledge, Wikipedia. The death was ruled as a suicide; I'll leave others to argue whether the death was planned or incidental. If it was a suicide, there was no note - but if you've been watching House, MD you know that it is more likely for a suicide not to leave a note than otherwise.
She was only 27 years old when she died. A graduate of Purdue University, at the time of her death she was the most decorated track and field athlete in Purdue's history. She started her professional basketball career with the WNBA in 1997 - the only year she ever played in the WNBA. She played 19 games for the Sacramento Monarchs, not starting in any of them, averaging 9.9 minutes a game and 2.7 points a game.
She had graduated with a pharmacy degree from Purdue and returned to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to work at a pharmacy in Medicine Hat. She seemed happy.
It just goes to show you that you can play along side someone if you're a player, or you can study a player's history, statistics, listen to interviews, watch them play, and yet not really know who they are. Some people are mysteries, and they remain mysteries no matter how much we would like it to be otherwise.
6 comments:
I live in Sacramento and watched Yasen play. I do not believe she intentionally killed herself. Consider your source and remember Heath Ledger's death was considered an accident...D
My wife graduated from Coeur d'Alene High School the same year as Yasen and she knew her pretty well. We still live in the area. Prior to the drug overdose, she received a citation for drunk driving, her first ever run-in with the law. She was a perfectionist, "the good kid" and very hard on herself as a person in everything. I don't want to make up the next part, but I believe it was reported at the time that she was very upset about the very public screw-up of drunk driving. Couple that with the fact that for the first time she was in her first year and a half of being out of the spotlight, out of being the greatest--being famous. There were plenty of reasons to think it was suicide.
My wife graduated from Coeur d'Alene High School the same year as Yasen and she knew her pretty well. We still live in the area. Prior to the drug overdose, she received a citation for drunk driving, her first ever run-in with the law. She was a perfectionist, "the good kid" and very hard on herself as a person in everything. I don't want to make up the next part, but I believe it was reported at the time that she was very upset about the very public screw-up of drunk driving. Couple that with the fact that for the first time she was in her first year and a half of being out of the spotlight, out of being the greatest--being famous. There were plenty of reasons to think it was suicide.
You might wonder why I even came to your website. Well, this weekend in Spokane, WA, Corissa is being inducted posthumously into regional sports hall of fame. So I started googling for her and found this blog. This year would have been her 20th class reunion from Coeur d'Alene High School.
But... she had a pharmacy degree. Guess it will always be up in the air....if it was or wasn't suicide..
Having grown up with Corissa since the 3rd grade, I know she wanted to be known as a good person NOT a famous athlete. People that knew her know she was an amazing friend. I told her one Christmas break when we were home from college that I was dating a college volleyball player and I bragged her (Corrisa) up. She said she would rather I brag about who she is as a person. We all miss her dearly...I think about her all the time and wonder what she would be doing...
She graduated in 1992 NOT 1991...so our 20 year was last summer.
RIP Corrisa...you are missed
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