EAST LANSING -- No regrets.
That pretty much sums up what Allyssa DeHaan says about her senior season on the Michigan State women's basketball team.
DeHaan, a 6-foot-9 center from Grandville, has accomplished a lot in her first three years with the Spartans. She is MSU's and the Big Ten Conference's career and single-season record holder in block shots.
She also is 79 blocks from becoming the NCAA's career leader. Sandora Irvin had 480 blocks in her career at Texas Christian.
But DeHaan does have one regret: the Spartans' loss in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 to Iowa State last season.
MSU led the game by seven points with 1:27 remaning, but a banked 3-pointer, a turnover and two missed shots in the final seconds by the Spartans gave the Cyclones a 69-68 victory.
"There were certain things I could have done, certain things our team could had done," said DeHaan, who scored 24 points.
"I've watched the final couple minutes of that (Iowa State) game six times and the feelings I had was anger and regret, and I don't want to experience that this season," DeHaan said during the MSU media day Monday. "I don't want to have any regrets and I want to play until we get to Texas."
San Antonio, Texas, is the site of the 2010 women's Final Four. That's a lofty goal for a team coming off a 22-11 season and second-place finish in the Big Ten.
But the Spartans return their starting lineup for the second consecutive season and are ranked in the Top 10 in a couple preseason magazines: Athlon (No. 5) and Lindy's (No.7).
DeHaan said the pain in her left foot from plantar fasciitis was killing her in the fourth quarter against Iowa State. Rest is best for the injury, doctors said, and DeHaan had plenty of that this summer after battling mononucleosis that laid her up for six weeks.
But when she returned to the court in July, so did the plantar fasciitis.
"I decided to go through shockwave therapy, and what they did is take this high-powered wave and broke down the tissue on the bottom of my feet," said DeHaan, who is a pre-med major.
"The idea behind this is to let your body naturally heal itself, and I was told it takes up to 10 weeks to feel relief, and we're nearing the end of that right now."
She sounds like a doctor already.
"I'm not practicing fully, but I'm practicing and able to run up and down the floor, and I will be ready for season opener (Nov. 13 at Dayton)."
When Suzy Merchant was named coach three seasons ago, she felt the weight of the world was on DeHaan's shoulders.
"She's built the way of wanting to play perfect every night," Merchant said. "I think she has really matured and improved on the mental side of her game, and we're looking for her to have a spectacular senior season."
Named a co-captain for the first time, DeHaan balances a tough class schedule.
"There aren't many student-athletes that could handle what she does," Merchant said. "There are no words to explain the level of commitment she has to have at all times to be a pre-med major at Michigan State, coupled that with the media demands, the community service and the basketball side of things and all the travel.
"There aren't many human beings in any sport that can do what she's doing, but I think it's a tribute to her and her character."
An effort to take classes every summer has lightened the class load for DeHaan this semester.
"I think she doesn't get enough credit for how tough she is," Merchant said. "People see toughness as a physical thing, but she has done a great job at showing mental toughness when we needed her the most and she's fought though a lot of aches and pains where other kids wouldn't."
DeHaan wants to be a doctor someday but isn't ruling out playing professional basketball.
"All my focus is on this season, but I'm excited and looking forward to where basketball might take me next season," DeHaan said. "I want no regrets."
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