Breland leads UNC after battle with cancer

This time last year, Jessica Breland was in a hospital bed.

It was not for a quick in-and-out visit. She was confined there with Hodgkin’s lymphoma for most of the North Carolina women’s basketball season — what was supposed to be her season.

Instead of performing on the court, the senior forward powered through chemotherapy treatments while the rest of her team struggled to a 19-12 record.

But this year, that’s behind her. A new Breland returns to the new Carmichael Arena to make an enormous impact on a team that UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell didn’t even call her own.

“What she’s gone through with the cancer and all, she’s just so mature — talking all the time. There’s no doubt this is her team,” Hatchell said. “Of course I respect her so much, her leadership and all. She wants to have a great senior year. She wants to win.”

Scoring an average of 14.1 points per game in the 2008-09 season, Breland was North Carolina’s second-leading scorer in her last season on the floor.

She also led the squad in blocks, 108 for the season, as her team finished 28-7 and went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

During her months of treatment that included radiation throughout last season, all Breland could work on was her shot.

The forward was finally allowed back on the court to practice with her teammates and participate in drills just in time for her Feb. 23 birthday.

After two years of prolonged sickness and a late diagnosis, Breland is coming into this season physically and mentally stronger than ever. She only occasionally gets winded or has trouble breathing at practice, and even that doesn’t hold her back. The forward usually pushes through it.

Despite working with the team to gain strength and agility back throughout last year’s post-season, Breland took a spot on the bench in a unique role during games — right in between the players and coaches.

“The coaches (were) constantly telling the players to ‘do this’ and ‘do that’ because we were very young last year,” Breland said. “I got the opportunity to actually step out of the box and see exactly what they wanted to be done.”
Learning by watching gave the senior a unique perspective that the preseason All-ACC player thinks will be one of her greatest strengths this season.

“I played with Jessica my freshman year, so I know what it’s like having her,” senior guard Cetera DeGraffenreid said. “It’s having her back on the court and having the sense of security there. You know if you throw her the ball, she’s going to do something with it.”

While it’s clear she has earned the entire team’s respect and admiration, UNC’s “comeback kid” isn’t just influencing her teammates on the court.

“The main thing that we were lacking last year was leadership,” Breland said. “I feel like I was the perfect person to do that. When it comes to talent, we have it. When it comes to being disciplined and making yourself do something, we kind of lacked at that.”

After establishing a contract this summer that keeps players accountable for how many shots they take per week along with keeping track of the team’s workout and pickup schedules, Breland has winning on her mind and agenda.

It’s something she’s not afraid to admit, either.

When asked if this year’s group was her team, Breland simply cracked a braces-filled grin and answered with honesty.

“Yes, I do.”