No guarantees, but Weisner makes debut

SEATTLE - Jamie Weisner doesn't know where she'll be living a month from now. Doesn't know what she'll be driving a week from now. Doesn't know with absolute certainty what she'll be doing for work a day from now.

On Thursday night, none of that nonsense mattered to Weisner.The former Clarkston High School standout moved one step closer to fulfilling her childhood dream of playing in the Women's NBA when she suited up for theWashington Mystics.

Weisner practiced just twice with the Mystics after signing Tuesday, so she wasn't surprised when she stayed on the bench in the 84-82 overtime win versus the Seattle Storm. She enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

"I grew up watching (Storm point guard) Sue Bird," Weisner said with a smile, "and now I'm on the court with her. It's definitely cool and surreal, a dream come true. It's a lot of fun."

Making a WNBA roster is no small feat. Each of the 12 teams carries just 12 players. Weisner was an All-American at Oregon State this year and led the Beavers to their first Final Four, but she was a late cut in the preseason by the Connecticut Sun. The Sun drafted her 17th overall in the second round.

Coach Mike Thibault pulled no punches when describing Weisner's status with the Mystics.

"She's 12th of 12 players," Thibault said. "But she's in the league."

Thibault added, "I think she'll play in the league. It's just a matter of whether it's with us or somebody else.

"Right now, we hope it's with us."

Weisner, a 5-foot-10 wing, averaged 2.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 11.7 minutes in Connecticut's three exhibition games. All seven of her points came in the third game.

"I struggled at the beginning," Weisner said. "I was there three weeks. Every week, every day, I gained a lot more confidence it was a really great experience."

After Weisner's release, Sun coach Curt Miller told the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin, "Jamie's upside is tremendous, and she will be in this league and will be a good pro in this league."

"She's been a winner," Thibault noted. "She's a good shooter. She's tough. She's smart. She'll pick up stuff.

"It's with the quickness and speed in this league we'll have to see how she fits."

Weisner says she's up to the challenge.

"I've just got to prove myself every single day," she said.

Notes - Weisner, the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, said she considers herself a long shot to make the Canadian Olympic team in August. Weisner's father was born in Canada, and she has dual citizenship. Former Oregon State center Ruth Hamblin, drafted one spot ahead of Weisner, is averaging 1.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.7 blocked shots and 4.9 minutes for the Dallas Wings. Ex-Washington State wing Lia Galdeira, drafted 19th overall by the Mystics, was cut in the preseason. ... Thibault is a former Seattle SuperSonics scout. He assisted former Washington State coach Len Stevens at Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Wash. WNBA player salaries range from approximately $35,000 to $110,000 for the 34-game season. Elite players can make more than $1 million in overseas leagues. Weisner plans to play overseas after earning her kinesiology degree in December. "Seattle" and "Storm" were nowhere to be found on the home team's uniforms, but the names of two sponsors were prominently displayed. The NBA plans to allow small corporate logos on jerseys in 2017-18. Weisner's parents and older brother Mike were among the 5,239 spectators at KeyArena.