Deonica McCormick's portrait from 2010 in basketball uniform.

McCormick joined the Bulldogs midway through the 2009-10 season and quickly emerged as a force on the court. As a freshman, she averaged 13.5 points per game, contributing key performances like a 28-point game against No. 5 Copiah-Lincoln, 17 points in a win over Hinds, and 20 in a season-ending 88-86 win over LSU Eunice. Despite the team’s 8-win season, McCormick laid the foundation for a turnaround.

In her sophomore year, she became the Bulldogs’ go-to scorer, helping double the team’s win total to 16 and return to the postseason for the first time since 2006. McCormick’s consistency was unmatched, leading the team in scoring in multiple games: 30 points vs. Southwest, 29 vs. East Central, 28 vs. both Jones and Co-Lin, and a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) in a narrow loss to Pearl River.

She tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds in a 71-41 victory over Southwest that clinched a postseason berth. In the MACJC Tournament, she scored 13 points in an upset of North champion East Mississippi and added 19 in a semifinal loss to Jones. She repeated that 19-point effort in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, finishing her MGCCC career as an All-MACJC South First Team, All-Region 23, and MACJC All-Star Game selection.

McCormick’s success only grew at the University of Mobile, where she etched her name in program history. In 2014, she was named SSAC Player of the Year, Tournament MVP, NAIA and WBCA All-American, and a finalist for WBCA NAIA National Player of the Year. She set a school record by averaging 21.2 points per game, adding 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 47 percent from the field. She graduated ranked in the top 10 in scoring and assists and was just the ninth player to reach 1,000 points in two seasons.

McCormick capped her career playing professionally in Australia’s State Basketball League, where she earned 2015 All-Star honors and was named Player of the Week three times.