Jennifer Crouse
{{Short description|American basketball player}}
{{for|the curler|Jennifer Crouse (curler)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Jennifer Crouse
| image =
| league =
| team =
| number =
| position = Center
| height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4
| weight_lbs =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|05|23|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Freeport, Illinois
| nationality = American
| high_school = Freeport
(Freeport, Illinois)
| college = North Dakota (1995–1999)
| draft_league = WNBA
| draft_year = 1999
| draft_round =
| draft_pick =
| draft_team =
| career_start = 1999
| career_end = 2009
| years1 = 1999–2000
| team1 = CB Santa Rosa de Lima (Spain)
| years2 = 2002–2003
| team2 = Perth Lynx (Australia)
| years3 = 2003–2004
| team3 = Athens (Greece)
| years4 = 2004–2005
| team4 = Saarlouis Royals (Germany)
| years5 = 2005–2009
| team5 = Townsville Fire (Australia)
| highlights =
}}
Jennifer Crouse (born May 23, 1977) is an American retired professional basketball player.
Career
=College=
In college, Crouse attended University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, playing for the Fighting Sioux (It was controversially named Fighting Sioux at the time) in NCAA Division II.{{cite web|url=http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=210241689|title=Jenny Crouse Hall of Fame Bio|publisher=undsports.com}} Whilst completing her degree in 2001, Crouse would remain on board as the Assistant Coach of the UND Women's basketball team. Until she decided to pursue her professional career in Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.org/grovers50/women/0102news/0318crouse.htm|title=Assistant coach Jennifer Crouse resigns to pursue professional playing career|publisher=oocities.org}}
=WNBA=
After her college career, Crouse was signed by the Phoenix Mercury for the 1999 WNBA season. However, she was waived one month later.{{cite web|url=http://www.wnba.com/archive/wnba/mercury/media/2014_Mercury_Media_Guide_crops.pdf|title=2014 Phoenix Mercury Media Guide|publisher=wnba.com}} The following year, Crouse was invited to the Miami Sol's training camp before the 2000 WNBA season.{{cite web|url=http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=1471118|title=Jennifer Crouse|publisher=undsports.com}} Crouse was released before the season began.
=Europe=
After completing her years with the Fighting Sioux, Crouse then travelled to Barcelona, Spain, signing with CB Santa Rosa de Lima for the 1999–2000 Liga Femenina de Baloncesto season.{{cite web|url=http://competiciones.feb.es/estadisticas/Jugador.aspx?i=1144&c=220698&med=0|title=Federación Española de Baloncesto - Competiciones FEB|publisher=competiciones.feb.es}} After a season in Australia, Crouse returned to Europe and signed with an Athens side in the A1 Ethiniki Basketball for the 2003–04 season. She would then travel west and sign with Saarlouis Royals for the 2004–05 season of Germany's Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga.{{cite web|url=http://www.robertbike.com/polaris/1995.htm|title=Jennifer Crouse|publisher=robertbike.com}}
=Australia=
In 2002, after strong showings with the Lakeside Lightning in Western Australia's State Basketball League, Crouse was signed by the Perth Lynx for the 2002–03 WNBL season. Averaging 4.2 blocks per game, Crouse currently holds the record for most blocks recorded in one season (88 blocks). In 2005, Crouse was signed by the Townsville Fire. She would remain a strong member of the Fire roster for four seasons. For the 2008–09 WNBL season, Crouse was named to the WNBL All-Star Five. The Fire narrowly missed out on the Grand Final, losing to Bulleen in the Preliminary Final. At the conclusion of the season, Crouse shockingly announced her retirement from basketball and that she was returning to America.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurobasket.com/reports/2009/3/28.asp|title=Crouse retires at peak|publisher=eurobasket.com}} Crouse ranks highly in several WNBL records for her blocking and rebounding efforts.