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An in-depth look at Division III

Posted March 29, 2000

By Mark Simon
D3hoops.com

Some might call it a long shot, but Ronda Jo Miller tends to hit most of hers -- short or long -- so forgive her if doesn't think of it that way.

The Gallaudet University senior just concluded a brilliant four-year basketball career in which she averaged 25.0 points and 14.6 rebounds per game and volleyball career in which she set the NCAA single-season record for kills.

Now Miller is hoping for a shot -- just a chance to get on the court and showcase her talents -- at playing in the WNBA. The league's four-round draft is scheduled for April 25 and there is the chance that Miller could end up on a roster. And with four expansion teams bringing the WNBA total to 16, the chances have never been better.

She is hoping not only to become the first Division III player in that league, but the first deaf player as well.

"I feel that I am as good as WNBA players," said the 6-foot-2 Miller, who spends three hours a day working out while taking classes towards a degree she'll earn next year in psychology. "They should look at me the same as they would look at others."

Convincing pro basketball coaches of that might be another story. But this Miller's tale is well worth knowing.

Miller, the elder of two children of Dolly and John Miller, was born in Minneapolis but moved to a 180-acre farm in Flensburg, Minn., (pop. 256) when she was four. There, she went to school with hearing children until the sixth grade. She then went to the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in Faribault, Minn., 150 miles from home. She passed up Division I basketball for Gallaudet, coming home often to ride her horses -- Dusty Morning and Jasper -- and play basketball on the dirt court in the backyard with her father and brother Robbie.

"When she was younger, I intimidated her (on the court) with my size," said John Miller, who now is virtually equal in size to Miller at 6-foot-2, "but then she got older, bigger and taller."

Playing against guys is something she's used to. In fact, that's how she's getting better so that she'll be ready to face the best women in the world. She works out under the eye of Gallaudet women's coach Kitty Baldridge and then plays against members of the university's men's team.

"I get to play point guard against them," said Miller, a natural center who would probably need to shift to power forward to play in the pros. "I'm not afraid to go inside and get smashed. Being tough against them is fun. It increases my confidence. I feel good when I can get some rebounds and points against them. They tend to say 'Whoa, she did that?' I keep telling them I'm a basketball player."

People know her by know -- especially in the deaf community where Miller considers herself a role model. She's already made plans to teach her future teammates sign language so that they can communicate with her without being afraid of whether she'll understand.

"It's good to show the kids that they can be like me," Miller said. "I love the quote 'deaf people can do anything except hear.' That says it all. My deafness doesn't control my talents or performance. It all comes from my natural ability."

WNBA coaches came to Gallaudet this season to get a feel for her game. They came away very impressed.

"It was obvious that she knows the game, understands the game and loves the game," said Nancy Darsch, the head coach for the Washington Mystics. "She really stands out (in Division III) as head and shoulders above the rest. My sense is that she does have the instincts and the skill (to go pro). There will be a learning curve and things she'll have to adjust to. I think she may be able to take her skills to the next level."

Darsch acknowledged that might mean going to one of the European leagues to play during the winter. Or it could require going through a series of tryout camps for undrafted players. Former Marymount star Corinne Carson did that a few years ago and looked a bit "overwhelmed," according to Darsch.

"If I don't get drafted, I'm not going to give up," Miller said. "I'd hope to go overseas and play there. That would be a good experience. My goal is to play in the WNBA."