DWB Alum Update: 2007 All-America Alison Bales

DURHAM, N.C.— Over the summer, the Blue Devils will be catching up with Duke women's basketball alumnae to see what they have been up to since leaving Durham. Up next is 2007 graduate Alison Bales. A four-year letterwinner with the Blue Devils from 2004-07, Bales is one of the top shot-blockers in NCAA history swatting an ACC-record 434 shots. An All-America selection in 2007, Bales averaged 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.4 blocks as a senior. She helped lead Duke to the NCAA Championship game in 2006 and an undefeated regular season in 2007.

Since graduating from Duke, you had a chance to play professionally for five years. What was that experience like?
Playing professional basketball is an amazing experience; I was able to play in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream as well as in overseas leagues in Russia, Turkey, and France. After playing basketball for most of my life, it was a pretty cool experience to turn it into a career.

What was your favorite place to play overseas?
All three countries I played in were unique and wonderful experiences in their own way. I remember landing in Moscow for my first season overseas as the only American on my team in the middle of a snow storm and doubting my choice for a bit. The next day though I discovered my apartment was only a short walk from my Duke teammate Monique Currie's apartment even though we were playing on different teams! I walked over nearly ever evening after practice for dinner! Then in Turkey I played in a beautiful but small city on the Black Sea, but we were one of the only sports teams in the area so we had a lot of fan support. Once when playing the best team in the league the fans threw so many paper rolls on the court the refs had to send us to the locker rooms to wait it out. However, if I had to pick my favorite, I would choose France. Western European culture is a very easy adjustment for an American, French is an easier language to pick up than Russian or Turkish, and I had a car and was able to reach Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bruges, and London within three hours, which was incredible. Plus Bridgette Mitchell played for a team 20 minutes away so I got to spend time with her. Overall playing overseas can be a challenge, being away from friends and family for so long but I loved being able to experience the new cultures in a way that a tourist never can.

Congrats on recently graduating from Wright State Medical School. What kind of doctor are you looking to become?
Thanks! I matched into a general surgery residency at Indiana University in Indianapolis, interestingly exactly 10 years after I was drafted there in 2007.

What is your next step follow graduation from medical school?
I officially start residency on July 1st.

How did the CAPE program at Duke help give you a head start in the medical field?
CAPE (Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience) is a remarkable program that allows undergraduates hands on experience in patient care and the ability to learn from physicians at the top of their fields. For me it solidified my decision to attend medical school when I retired from professional basketball. In fact, I started my own shadowing program matching undergraduates in the Dayton area with physicians in the hope to reaffirm their decision to pursue medical school just like it did for me.

Have you been able to keep in touch with many former teammates/coaches?
Social media is an excellent way to keep in touch with my teammates and coaches, and I love hearing from everyone. I went to Emily Waner and Abby Waner's weddings during my first year of medical school, saw Lindsey Harding and Mistie Bass last summer when I was doing an away rotation in Phoenix, I see Monique Currie every couple seasons, though she is hard to keep up with playing year round for 12 years, and even though they decided not to finish at Duke, I see both Laura Kurz and Brittany Hunter regularly too. For graduation this year I heard from many more and every time its fun to relive those Duke days and then catch up on their lives now. Dr. Georgia (Schweitzer) Beasley has also been a great resource the past year as I went through interview season.

Do you still follow DWB and watch games when they are on television?
I still try and keep up with the team and have been back every couple years.

Have you been able to make it back to Durham recently?
My brother is in law school at Elon now so I stayed with him when I interviewed at Wake Forest for residency and I swung by campus to say hello a few months ago. Assistant coach Rene Haynes and I actually grew up playing basketball together and against each other in Ohio so she keeps me updated some too.

Do you get a chance to play basketball any these days?
The first couple years of medical school, I played pick-up with my male classmates every week and was even recruited by a team of hospital employees to play in their league. Third and fourth year my schedule was somewhat unpredictable so it was tougher to find the time, plus after playing basketball for 25 years, yoga just feels better!

When looking back on your days at Duke, what are some of your favorite memories?
Beating UNC on senior night was definitely one of my favorites as was beating LSU in the Final Four. The big wins were wonderful, so was competing against our practice guys, travelling together, team dinners, and downtime during the summers.

How has a Duke degree helped you?
I think Duke offers the best academic-athletics combination in the country. The learning I did at Duke both in the classroom and on the court molded me into the person I am today. I am so appreciative of that opportunity.

DWB Alum Update: 2007 All-America Alison Bales

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