Former WNBA hopeful Bria Bohanon just inked her big deal – in a sport she's been playing for a whopping 3 months. Bohanon signed a contract to play professional rugby in a full-time Olympic feeder program.
 
Bohanon has competed on a steady stream of basketball, track and soccer teams since she was six years old, but rugby was never in the mix. It's just something she picked up on a whim because she wanted to stay in shape and fill the void created by the end of her basketball eligibility.
 
The fifth year senior and former SHC small forward had been working out on her own, but missed being in a team environment, so she wound up at the September 2014 Badger Expo in search of something new.
 
"The funny thing is, I was actually going to play ultimate frisbee instead of rugby," said Bohanon. "I didn't think I was tough enough or good enough to even attempt to play, so I signed up for ultimate frisbee."
 
Fortunately, nobody showed up to lead the ultimate frisbee meeting. "I was like, ok, well, rugby has an interest group and they have free pizza, so let me just try this out," laughed Bohanon.
 
Coach Justin Goonan was on hand to walk info session attendees through some basic rugby video clips and helped convince Bohanon to give it a shot. She studied up using YouTube clips and found encouragement in the story of former track star Carlin Isles, a crossover athlete known as the "Fastest Man in Rugby."
 
Bohanon could envision how her own experience as a sprinter might make a difference for the Badgers, but that didn't calm the butterflies in her stomach. "I was just so, so nervous the first time – even just for the strength and conditioning session… but I did it and I loved it and the first practice was amazing," said Bohanon, noting how patient and supportive her teammates had been.
 
Coach Goonan was as glad to see Bohanon at practice as he was disappointed to learn that she would graduate at the end of the first semester. "She definitely showed some hesitation during the initial skill development phase, but once we moved into some game scenarios, her competitive side kicked in and really let her shine," said Goonan.
 
Not long after, Goonan reached out to the American Pro Rugby Training Program to ensure that Spring Hill's new women's rugby program was on their recruiting radar. He included highlight footage and explained that he wanted to help Bohanon find a team or program that would appreciate her potential and support her as she continued to learn the game.
 
Program Director Julie McCoy, former coach of the USA Rugby Women's National Team, didn't need any convincing. She spotted Bohanon's natural athleticism and knew right away that she was something special.  McCoy invited Bohanon to join her full-time residency program in Little Rock, Ark., which was established as a pathway to playing professional rugby on an international stage and also offers short-term high performance training camps.
 
Bohanon's commitment to the American Pro Rugby Training Program officially begins on January 9. Just over a month later, Bohanon will compete in the 2015 Las Vegas Invitational, which is the largest rugby tournament in North America.
 
When the American Pro Rugby Training Program concludes later in the spring, Bohanon will choose a path from a menu of options that will likely include signing with one of eight USA Women's Premier League teams, joining one of three National Development Academy teams and trying out for the USA Rugby Women's National Team with hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.
 
Despite the whirlwind changes and high profile opportunities ahead of her, Bohanon remains as humble and grounded as ever. "It's definitely all in God's plan for me," she said. "I know I would never have been able to orchestrate all of this by myself… It was hard to wait on His perfect timing, but this opportunity is such a blessing and I just want to use it to glorify Him."