DeHaan currently has 479 career blocks, one shy of tying the record set by Texas Christian’s Sandora Irvin. Right on DeHaan’s tail, though, is St. Mary’s 6-foot-4 junior forward Louella Tomlinson, who recorded seven blocks Saturday against San Francisco to bring her career total to 478.

The two will battle indirectly for the record Thursday. The Spartans play Michigan at 7 p.m. St. Mary’s will host Gonzaga at 10 p.m.

Assuming both players hit their season averages, DeHaan will hold the record at some point between 7-9 p.m., only to have it broken before midnight. Unless DeHaan has a monster game — unlikely considering U-M’s style — she’ll only hold the record she was earmarked for from the time she stepped foot on campus for a matter of hours.

With Tomlinson averaging nearly seven blocks per game this season, it’s inevitable that DeHaan — who is averaging 3.3 blocks per game this season — will be surpassed. With those averages, DeHaan really would have to step on the gas to keep up with Tomlinson.

Make no mistake, Tomlinson is an impressive player, and she will have earned the record when she gets it, but considering the competition, DeHaan’s accomplishments are much more impressive.

Not to diminish the West Coast Conference, but it’s the West Coast Conference. Tomlinson is a big fish in a small pond. Playing the likes of Portland, San Diego and Pepperdine are not exactly the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State and North Carolina. That’s why DeHaan should go down as the best shotblocker of all time.

When you look at DeHaan’s career, she has gone head-to-head with some of the best players in the country — LSU’s Sylvia Fowles (second overall pick in 2008 WNBA Draft and 2008 Olympic gold medalist), Maryland’s Crystal Langhorne (sixth overall pick in 2008 WNBA Draft), Rutgers’ Kia Vaughn (eighth overall pick in 2009 WNBA Draft), Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (seventh overall pick in 2009 WNBA Draft), Illinois’ Jenna Smith (two-time All-Big Ten) and Ohio State’s Jessica Davenport (second overall pick in 2007 WNBA Draft) and Jantel Lavender (two-time Big Ten Player of the Year), among others. Those are some of the best post players of this era and of all time.

DeHaan has not played in near anonymity, either. She’s not only been the face of MSU women’s basketball, but MSU women’s athletics since her first game and the focus of each team the Spartans play. Members of the crowd at Breslin Center track her blocks, and little girls hold “#41” signs. DeHaan has had enormous expectations, and a team, on her shoulders her entire career.

A DeHaan blocked shot has become the trademark of MSU women’s basketball and will be remembered with fondness whether DeHaan holds the NCAA record when she is done.

DeHaan set the NCAA freshman blocks mark in 2007 with 145. A year later, Tomlinson broke that, and the NCAA season mark, with 156.

From there, the race was on.

Although it seems like Tomlinson will get the best of DeHaan, there’s no doubt DeHaan will leave a much longer lasting mark on NCAA women’s basketball.

Matt Bishop is the State News women’s basketball reporter. He can be reached at bishop20@msu.edu.