Lakewood, N.J. – "I'm going pro." More often than not these days, this seems to be the response from every athlete when quizzed on what their plans are after their collegiate opportunity expires.

Considering only 21% of ALL NCAA men's basketball student-athletes (Division I, II, III combined) receive a professional offer of any sort (USA or internationally), and a miniscule 6.9% of collegiate women's players move on to the pro level, the odds are certainly not favorable for most.

The probability of anyone trading in the Georgian Court University royal & blue for a chance to play for pay does not appear likely. It's almost impossible. It will never happen!
Well, think again. In fact, think again twice. Because the Lions will have not one, but TWO alumni playing professional women's basketball in Europe this fall as Class of 2019 graduates, Carna Prokic and Destiny Thompson prove to all of us that dreams really do come true!

Prokic, a native of Subotica, Serbia, actually got her feet wet in the professional ranks last year with ZKK Subotica, which competes in the top league in her native country, before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the door on the season.

Carna, who averaged 10.1 points per game and dished 124 assists (third in CACC) her senior season with the Lions, will take the floor for KK Banovice in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020-21. A member of the Women's Adriatic Basketball Association (WABA), the club (established in 1974) is the reigning league champion and club champion.

Georgian Court head coach Jazz Perazic, knows just a little bit about the professional ranks and international play. The 2014 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and University of Maryland hall-of-famer who played for the Yugoslavian National Team from 1980-1992, could not be more excited for Prokic.

"I am so excited that Carna has continued her basketball career in Europe," said Perazic. "KK Banovice is a very good team that competes in the very tough and highly regarded WABA. She was instrumental in helping us make the CACC Championship Tournament her senior season and her leadership provided the spark we needed to get a first-round victory (80-63 at Caldwell). She is an amazing competitor, a great defensive player and an ultimate team player."

Carna sports the "team player" moniker off the floor as well, as the former Lion played a vital role in her GCU teammate landing her big chance overseas.
"She (Carna) called me and said 'How would you like to play over here'," recollected Thompson. I said, "Get the heck out of here!" "No, no, I'm serious!" was the response of Prokic.

The opportunity was with Carna's former club, ZKK Subotica. Destiny, who served as an assistant coach on Perazic's staff a year ago, always had professional basketball in the back of her mind, but thought that ship had sailed due to the pandemic.
 
"I stayed in shape, and was close to going to Spain to play early in the spring, and then COVID-19 hit and shut everything down," shared Thompson. "It was a major low point for me, I thought I lost my chance. I really did some soul-searching, thought about my future plans, school and career. However, I stayed in the gym, stayed in contact with my trainer and Carna, as well as with my other connections, and this chance of a lifetime literally came out of nowhere."

Now that the dream has become reality, Destiny could not be more excited to get going. In fact, the Bridgeton, N.J. native and 1,000-point scorer will feel quite comfortable in her adopted homeland of Serbia, having traveled through the region with her Georgian Court teammates in the summer of 2017.

"It's such a blessing to have spent time in Serbia before this trip. I'm very comfortable there, and the fact that Coach (Perazic) grew up there and played in the same league is so beneficial. I mean she is like the 'Serbian Beyonce' over there. This whole thing doesn't feel real, if that makes sense!"

Perazic never questioned the talent that Destiny possessed. "She is an amazing athlete who needed some time to mature and find the true reasons for playing basketball. It took a little longer for her to realize and understand how truly talented she is and how important it is to push forward. I am so happy for Destiny that she has the chance to continue her playing career and that she will show off her talents at the next level."

Dreams do come true.