FAIRFAX, Va. - Former Patriots standout Jen Derevjanik became just the third Mason alum to win an American professional sports title this week when her Phoenix Mercury team defeated the Detroit Shock to claim the 2007 WNBA Championship. The Mercury's 108-92 victory on Sunday gave it a three games to two series victory over the Shock, the defending league champions.

Jen Derevjanik, a 2004 graduate of George Mason University joins Rich Kotschau '97 and Chris Widger '92 on the list of Patriots to succeed at the highest level professionally. Kotschau was a member of the 1998 Chicago Fire that claimed the MLS Cup, while Widger played for the 2005 World Series-winning Chicago White Sox.

Derevjanik, in her fourth year in the WNBA, helped lead the Phoenix Mercury to the best regular-season record in the Western Conference this season.

"This is Jen's fourth year in the league and third time in the playoffs," said George Mason women's basketball head coach Debbie Taneyhill, who coached Derevjanik during her four years in Fairfax. "She has been very successful in her four years in the league and had the same kind of success here at George Mason. She has proven that she is a winner, and she continues to represent George Mason in a first-class manner, as she always has."

She was a part of the Connecticut Sun teams that finished runner-up in the WNBA Finals in 2004 and 2005. In ten playoff games, Derevjanik has dished out 14 assists and grabbed five steals and four rebounds while averaging 8.5 minutes per game.

While at Mason, Derevjanik started a school record 116 consecutive games and is among the top five all-time in Mason's history books in four categories, including third in both assists (469) and points (1,637). Derevjanik was also named to the 2004 Academic All-America Women's Basketball District III University Division First Team and went on to earn conference All-Academic accolades for her efforts in the classroom.

The Staten Island, N.Y., native is one of two Mason players to reach the WNBA, as Keri Chaconas played for the Washington Mystics during the 1998 season under former Mason head coach, Jim Lewis.