The Justice

Jessica Chapin '10 poses for the camera. Sara Brandenburg/the Justice

Ever since she surprised herself by making a prestigious travel team reserved for older players when she was in fourth grade, guard Jessica Chapin '10 has taken pride in conquering her nerves. But when she prepared for her first practice as a rookie last year, she admitted to having some jitters.

"I don't usually get nervous, but I have to admit, I was a little nervous for the first practice," she said. "But once things started, and we were just playing basketball, all of my apprehensions went away."

That has been the only anxious moment of her career. After excelling at her role as the Judges' top substitute last season, Chapin has not missed a beat upon moving into the starting lineup, and currently ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game.

Chapin's offensive production has been instrumental with the struggles of last year's leading scorer Jaime Capra '08, who is averaging just 9.3 points per game on 29 percent shooting this season. With Capra mired in a shooting slump, Chapin has become the team's top outside threat, as she is hitting nearly 43 percent of her three-point attempts this season.

Chapin said her role last season was to provide energy off the bench, and despite averaging just the fifth-most minutes on the team, she finished third in scoring with a 7.9 per-game average.

"[Coach Carol Simon] wanted me to come off the bench and be the spark so that when we started subbing, the level of play wouldn't drop off," Chapin said.

While Chapin excelled in her role off the bench, she was needed in the starting lineup due to the graduation of last year's starting shooting guard, Alison Chase '07. As a starter, Chapin's role has changed, as she currently is first on the team in minutes played this season.

"This year, I'm carrying more of the offensive load on my shoulders," Chapin said. "Now that I'm starting, I'm looking to get the game off on the right foot."

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