Ireland fits Dunn’s basketball career
Though the burgeoning WNBA is gaining in popularity and media attention every year, there are still precious few opportunities in the United States for women’s basketball players who want to make the jump from the college game to the professional ranks.
Mary Dunn knew, after playing five years at Youngstown State and last season as a graduate transfer at Pitt, that she wanted to continue playing basketball, at the professional level, and that it would likely have to be outside the United States.
Not many players from Washington County have had such an opportunity – former Peters Township standout Emily Correal is one who comes to mind – but Dunn’s ability and determination have landed her a spot in the Ireland Super League.
A former Trinity High School standout, Dunn is playing for Brunell in the city of Cork, the second-largest in Ireland.
“I was actively pursuing a pro basketball career,” Dunn said. “After finishing my career at Pitt, I had multiple agents reach out to me. I found the best one for me – I signed with 4 Player Sports, based in Spain. I did not have any connections with the organization or any contact prior to them providing offers to my agent. I had interests from various countries, including Greece, England, Italy, and Ireland. My agent and I decided this was the best fit for me.”
Dunn has been in Ireland since mid-September. The season began Oct. 2 and she has helped Brunell to a 4-2 record. It began the season with four consecutive wins and at that time was the only pro team in Ireland – there are multiple leagues – that was undefeated.
Dunn admits it has taken her some time to adjust to life in another country and even the basketball schedule and rules. One of the biggest adjustments is the down time. Super League teams play only one gamer per week.
“We do have a lot of down time,” Dunn said. “We practice three or four times a week. I have access to training facilities where I am able to condition and strength train. So along with practice, training and getting in the gym to shoot, I spend my free time exploring the city. I live within walking distance and have another American on my team so we spend a lot of time together experiencing as much of the country as we can.”
In her short time in Ireland, Dunn has had to adapt to several rules changes in the European game and the pro game.
“The three biggest differences I have found are the ball size – the ball is slightly smaller and lighter – the lane is larger, which in turn changes the length for post moves and time in the key, and the fact that only a coach can call a timeout during a dead ball. There are various other differences.”
Though she has been slowed by a knee injury, Dunn has been an impact player for Brunell. In one Brunell victory, she had 18 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. She also had a 16-rebound game. Dunn said the level in the league is good.
“After playing in the Horizon League and ACC, I would consider this level of play to be in the middle of those two,” Dunn said. “The competition is higher than the Horizon League but not quite to the level of the ACC.”
At Youngstown State, Dunn scored 1,299 points, grabbed 540 rebounds, blocked 91 shots and received several all-conference awards for both on-court and in-classroom performance. After entering the transfer portal as a graduate student, Dunn played last year at Pitt, appearing in 24 games for the Panthers.
She completed her masters of professional communication in August.
“The experience in Ireland has been great,” Dunn said. “It has been difficult being so far from home but my teammates have made Ireland like a second home. Our team’s success, and being able to play a large part in that, has made my time here even better than I could have imagined.”