Aggie Women’s Basketball Team Refuses to Quit in Quest for Sweet 16 Spot

You know that point in the game where you have tried to coach, along with the head coach, what might happen yet to get from a tie game to a championship win? Today, I was dead wrong because I didn’t think there was any way that the natural go-to shooter, Shambria Washington, would have the adrenaline left in her system to find the position and take the shot she did. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in recent memory. The final score was 78 to 76, Aggies over Marquette, but yet another big victory beyond that was the Aggie WBB team gelling to smooth operating efficiency in the most important game of their season (thus far).

After playing the entire game without a break, just one minute previously, we all saw Sham moving in a labored, exhaustive fashion up and down the court, having played the game of her life already. Marquette was all about expecting Chennedy Carter to go for the money shot, which was all Sham needed to show opponents not to ever put her into the offense equation. She made her third 3-pointer of four attempts to give the Aggies the lead they needed to claim the trip to Chicago that was on the line.

Three hours ago I just stood and stared blankly at the slowly clearing floor of Reed Arena after today’s crowd of 2767 basketball fans. Never in my (mumbles something) years of attending Texas A&M women’s basketball games have I ever witnessed such an exciting, breathtaking and exhausting competition between two really good teams as today. No. 5 seed Marquette had played hard Friday afternoon, March 22, in a surprising defeat of the Rice Owls that, frankly, I didn’t see coming. I had Coach Tina Langley’s team in my bracket to face the Aggies today as I’d been paying attention to Rice’s progress all season, and I also follow Coach Brenda Frese’s Maryland Terrapins team.

Just as exciting as this team’s victory was that it was, truly, for the first time this season, in this writer’s opinion, that the Aggies played like a team that had truly gelled, that finally had all five players focused on team. For 40 minutes, Chennedy Carter, Shambria Washington, Ciera Johnson and N’dea Jones played every minute of the game; Jada Walton substituted for Kayla Wells for one minute and then Kayla came back in with Blair’s info to share. Caylinne Martin came in on a free throw shot to stand guard and rebound. So, for 99% of the game, these five young women guaranteed several outcomes for the appreciative audience who, frankly, didn’t know what to expect.

It used to be a slogan for Aggie men’s basketball, slapped on a t-shirt: “Play smart, play together.” And, for most of this season, the Aggie women have played smart, when it came to what was best for them. Individual records were set and every single week of the season, we'd see a press release of yet another regional or national award that Chennedy Carter had become eligible, or stayed in the running. Each week I ignored them, because what I was seeing on the court, in my highly overly opinionated view, was a team that was fractured between trying to win and making sure the star remained the star for the stat books and records.

Understandably, when other players are not having their best games and are committing errors, at some point in the game, you just have to let whoever is hot and can make the shots take and/or make the shots. But it was very disappointing after one particular game. Kayla Wells had just made the game high score, might have been career high, but no matter. She shot lights out and basically saved our necks to win that game. She was ushered over to talk to the SEC hosts on camera, and the first question Nell Fortner asked her was, “Kayla you played great tonight. Let me ask you, ‘What’s it like to play with Chennedy Carter’?” Nell, NO! to purloin her own catch phrase.

There’s been no greater advocate and friend of Chennedy Carter since last year than Kayla Wells. Journalists and viewers alike saw Kayla’s huge smile fall and she recovered quickly and spoke so highly of her dear friend and teammate. It’s the 2019 version of “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” out there from some journalists, but each of our players deserves their time in the spotlight. Coach Blair corrected that tonight in a major way.

As he needed both hands to hold the microphone, filled with emotion and holding back tears, Blair thanked everyone for their attendance and support of this team, this school, and this sport. He lauded Marquette and said, honestly, that he wasn’t sure who was the better team tonight and that they had fought hard. Blair asked the audience to consider “How about Sham Washington?” and the Jumbotron showed Sham next to Chennedy Carter, each of them dealing with ESPN and other TV journalists on the sidelines. Both young women were smiling, but definitely gratefully sitting down on comfortable chairs because if you’d have asked either of them to stand another moment, surely they could not have.

They were both in overdrive or overload but total exhaustion was the outcome, exhilarated though they were. The score was 70-70 with 4:10 left, part of 11 times the score was tied and 9 lead changes during the game. The audience wanted to collapse, to be sure, but we were between exhilaration and exhaustion. It would be just like that, and more, for the next four minutes for team and the audience to reach the final destination.

Next, Blair asked team captain Ciera Johnson to address the crowd. Showing her leadership and composure, Ciera was gracious, welcoming and showed the poise of a senior, even though she’s not. The final and best “play of the day” came in the post-game press conference. Journalists gathered to ask the individual players about the game, with Coach Blair holding up Shambria’s 3-point shot with 0:22 left in the game as the turning point, as it was.

In her individual remarks, Chennedy Carter was truly gracious, sharing, complimentary of all of her teammates and spoke of them proudly. She knew they had her back and she had theirs. How refreshing that was to see and hear.

When it was Sham’s turn at the mike, one of the journalists asked her (paraphrasing) “How does it feel tonight to have done well when most of the time you play in the shadow of Chennedy Carter?” And Sham just smiled quietly, and said, “I don’t mind being in Chennedy’s shadow,” and more to the effect of “we all play on this team together.” Further, she spoke highly of how Chennedy was an amazing guard on defense tonight and how an early assignment of hers was to guard Chennedy during practice, so it prepared her well for the SEC players and today’s as well.

Chennedy quickly jumped right in with “Sham is NOT playing in my shadow,” noting that she’s got her own play and she’s outstanding and you couldn’t ask for better. Never was I prouder of Chennedy Carter than that remark. First, last and always, these Aggies are a team, for a season and for life. It’s hard to bring together people from all over Texas much less all over the United States and ask for personalities, work styles, and dedication to excellence to all gel in the same fixed set of airspace on a basketball court. You can look to Bob Starkey on defense, Kelly Bond-White on offense, and Amy Wright on point guard play to shine some light where it belongs, along with Gary Blair for keeping the entire battalion marching forward all night long.

Perhaps what more journalists can do to help teams come together is to find a way to focus on all the players on the court, whether their statistics give them cause to be lifted up or not. Unsung heroes are the backbone of this team all day every day, and this includes the unseen practice squad who puts our team through their paces to give them new challenges each day. Even though Caylinne Martin played one play and Jada Walton played for one minute tonight, they were not only ready to come in when needed, they were tearing up the bench standing, cheering, and encouraging their teammates on, and few people ever spot that and lift them up for it.

The dynamic duo of N'dea Jones and Ciera Johnson combined for 25 rebounds and 24 points between them. Every Aggie scored in double figures and each player had assists in this game, more evidence of true team play. Chennedy Carter finished with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block and 1 steal, Shambria Washington had 13 points, 6 assists, and 1 rebound. Kayla Wells had a key 3-pointer among her 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. N'dea Jones had 13 points, 3 assists, 1 block, and 13 rebounds, while Ciera Johnson had 11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block.

Hats off to Marquette, who played 8 players with only one, the legend in her own right, Natisha Hiedeman, playing all 40 minutes, for which she garnered 18 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and was a major force in what has to be Marquette's best game of the season. They were well coached, well prepared, and they had a great band, cheerleaders and fan base in attendance, given the distance between schools.

Tomorrow night we’ll find out whether the Aggies face Notre Dame or Michigan State this weekend in Chicago. One thing is for certain: the team riding the charter up north will indeed be the best possible compilation of quality players who are united for a purpose. Reaching the Sweet Sixteen status is something they get to do all day tomorrow between classes, because Coach Blair is giving them the day off, which it will take for them to rest each sore, tired, and hobbled muscle left in their bodies.

Their spirits and hearts are all fresh and ready to go, though, because of true team play. When one wins, they all win, and thus, there’s not the giant hoopla made about this achievement as they deserve, one of these days Texas A&M will be considered a “basketball school” and Aggie women’s basketball will have been the driving force behind that distinction.

As Coach Blair said tonight, if the opponent is Notre Dame, they could have as many as 8,000-9,000 fans on “their side.” May Aggies everywhere and anywhere near Chicagoland get over to Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square. It’s where DePaul plays their home games and they have 10,387 seats available to sit. If you can, let your maroon flag fly high. Best of luck to our truly fightin’ Texas A&M Women’s Basketball team.

Prognostications and Expectations—How Do They Really Impact Aggie Women’s Basketball?

After watching last night’s Aggie women’s basketball game against Ole Miss, in the clear victory 83-54 over the Rebels, I began reflecting about how the team had developed this year, compared to all of the prognosticators’ opinions and rankings and laudatory platitudes awarded before a single whistle had blown this season.

Back in November, 2017, TAMU women’s basketball was picked 4th in the SEC, and three players were named preseason All-SEC: Khaalia Hillsman (First team), Anriel Howard, and Danni Williams (Second team). Also, in November, the Aggies were ranked 20th in the AP Preseason Poll.

Currently, the Aggies are in a three-way tie with South Carolina and Tennessee at 8-3; leading are Mississippi State (11-0) and Georgia (9-2). That could change a lot before the SEC tournament, then we shall see.

Danni Williams was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List in November, 2017. Also, Khaalia Hillsman was named to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List as well. Nice, but, what kind of pressure did that put on those players for their season?

If you’ve attended more than three games this season, you know unquestionably that Anriel Howard is more a first teamer than a second teamer (biased personal opinion aside), and undoubtedly MVP of the year so far.

And right behind her is Jasmine Lumpkin.

These two comparatively unsung heroes are the ones making the best plays, the free throws, the rebounds, and the mid-range jumpers that keep the Aggies alive while opponents try their latest double team dance-off against Khaalia or Danni. You don’t see them, however, on national watch lists, because they’re the best team players who focus on teams.

So, if you’re missing the best players, why the hype of the preseason rankings and awards? It’s all come down to numbers, statistics, and something for the commentators to discuss between plays, I guess. But it doesn’t begin to watch the action on the court when the team goes over to congratulate the unsung heroes for doing their jobs, every single game. The smiles and true regard you see exchanged between teammates are worth more gold than any of the countless number of trophies that will be handed out by season end.

It was perfect Monday night at the radio show at Rudy's BBQ, when Gary Blair pronounced Jasmine Lumpkin as his Fifth Dimension in the wheel that goes ‘round and ‘round on the team. He had to ask the crowd if anyone there remembered the Fifth Dimension, but he picked the right place to ask that question. We all knew the answer.

You can’t have the Fifth Dimension without the harmonies of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, Ron Townson, and Lamonte McLemore singing together. And, if you have Anriel, Danni, Khaalia, and Chennedy out there on the court, Jasmine is that perfect fifth.

Now then, there’s the whirling dervish, Chennedy Carter. She was named espnW National Player of the Week in December, 2017, with 46 points in the Aggie 75–74 victory over USC, only the third TAMU player (Courtney Walker in 2015 and Kelsey Bone in 2012) to do that. Carter has also been named SEC Player of the Week several times this season, but how does that help her get more assists than points in her point guard play? It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers.

Fortunately, the past three home games, what statistic has mattered most of all are the smiles on the faces and the affirming high-fives, hand slaps, hugs, and side bumps for each Aggie team player who is playing the best team play. It’s a Danni Williams passing the ball to Khaalia Hillsman, when she just as easily could be shooting it herself, and then smiling when Khaalia gets the bucket. It's the tandem passing between Williams and Carter down the court and then both deciding who should shoot the ball, to a successful conclusion and approving smiles between teammates that measures success better than any stats.

It’s an Anriel Howard who gets that rebound (after rebound) when she’s not the tallest player on the team, because she is doubly determined to play her role on this team and she’s the best junior we have out there, who acts more like a grad student in her maturity.

It’s Jazz Lumpkin who is the one you can count on. She has made believers out of some audience members who had no idea what she was capable of, but she wasn’t listening to doubters or naysayers. Lumpkin was listening second to her coaches but more importantly, she was listening first to her heart that told her she is a valued member of the Texas A&M women’s basketball team and she loves this game. And look what happens when she’s on the court—magic!

Watch game film or live in action, to see that Howard and Lumpkin are always standing up, straightest and tallest on the court. They may be just as wiped out as all the other players, but their stance does not show it. Their shoulders are not slumped. They have backs as straight as lifetime piano students build, and therein stems the attitude of a true warrior. These subtleties are the extra advantage they take into battle for the victory.

And then there is the unselfish smile of admiration these team players show one another. It’s hard, when you’ve had hot shot shooting days on your roster for years, whether high school or college, and it’s up to you to make the shot or pass it to someone with a higher likelihood of making it. Women are natural competitors, but here we are nearing the end of SEC play, and this team has much to be proud of in its solid capacity playing together—united in goals.

You can't overlook the solid coaching and permanent imprint of Associate Head Coach Kelly Bond-White, Assistant Coach Bob Starkey, and Assistant Coach Amy Wright, for each of their contributions to this team, and it takes supervision, coaching, studying, teaching, advice, and a lot of listening to the words of these talented women. Mike "Radar" Ricke has what it takes to keep these teams going strong, and new Sports Performance Coach, Kayln Sticher, is working to build the endurance of each of the players.

Not everyone is on that same page of the hymn book yet, but these kids are coming to A&M being told their entire high school and AAU careers how great they are. Rule number one is “Never believe your own PR.” But they do. They get named to preseason watch lists, to weekly shout-out lists and the accolades can fill the room. Chennedy Carter, though, is one who seems oblivious to the awards and the accolades heaped on her and she's just getting out there and making offense happen, which helps her stay the course of every game. That telescoping focus on the basket at hand is key. Just like the famous scene in "For the Love of the Game": "Clear the mechanism."

Chennedy Carter plays for the love of the game, and ultimately a pro career ahead, but it's one game at a time, one season at a time, one victory at a time. Last night she had 7 assists and 4 steals (fun to watch). Danni Williams had 4 generous assists. Given the nature of the game, it would have been nice to see more assists than the 17 total for the game, where players were in double-digits. Ole Miss had 13 assists and four players in double digits, too.

But, you know what? Kayla Wells wasn’t named to a preseason thing, and she’s brilliantly and quietly making her way into prominence with sure shooting, confidently and smartly. Wells and Jada Walton both had 4 rebounds, and N’dea Jones had 5 rebounds last night, fourth only to Anriel (14) and Khaalia (7), and Jasmine (6). These freshmen are coming on strong, and that's one of the best things to watch and enjoy in person at these games.

Sometimes staring at the jumbotron or stat boards, you can lose focus and miss the eyes and the hearts of the players who are out there executing plays, carrying out strategy, and fighting for victory, or to at least walk out of the arena, holding their heads up. Team play is a victory. Selfish play is demoralizing to the team and the crowd alike. Ole Miss played hard as a team in training. They passed the ball. They looked for openings and in the second half they got the three-point shots we left wide open while learning not to do that. Many shots simply would not fall the Old Miss way, but they kept after it, they kept trying.

Postgame, Ole Miss’s coach, Matt Insell, described his team as “a little scared out there and I really didn’t understand that.” It occurred to me how sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the clipboards with the numbers.

Coach Insell’s statement was profound, and perhaps is the key to beginning the turnaround he will ultimately find as his team gains skills and savvy. After all the Texas Aggie women have appeared exactly that way (cowed playing powerhouses) at times.

But what do victories really mean, and to whom? One thing is sure: It’s fear of failure that drives UConn players, if you listen to the words of Geno Auriemma shared last month.

At UConn, per Geno, “Maybe it’s just the function of this program because there are no easy passes here, no get-out-of-jail cards…You come here, you’re competing against really good players and you compete every minute of every day, every drill, everything we do. And then you get rewarded”…“any player who claims not to be afraid to fail is lying.”

That’s just a portion of his interview, and not to take it out of context, but what basketball coach or team doesn’t want to win? Who doesn’t give everything they have in practice? If they don’t, are they still on the team next year? Maybe, maybe not. what are the stakes, though, among the best of the best teams?

So, Coach Insell likely found his words explaining that he was proud of their effort, their hard work, against a solid SEC contender, and time would show continued improvement, to keep the faith. That’s a life lesson that means something to their future success.

In watching coaches on the sidelines during big ticket games, Texas A&M can be proud of both Gary Blair and Billy Kennedy for their sidelines demeanor compared to others in the SEC. Sometimes I think Bruce Pearl (Auburn men) shouldn’t be wired, or the camera shouldn’t go on LSU’s Nikki Fargas so much. Her glances scare me and I’m just sitting in the arena!

Maryland’s Brenda Frese is cool and collected. The great Pat Summitt, whose "We Back Pat" fundraising effort all SEC schools are backing, was a calm leader. Baylor’s Kim Mulkey is an example of…well, I won't finish that sentence.

What role does fear have in women’s basketball? What and whom should a player be afraid of? Disappointing their parents? Letting their coaches down? At Texas A&M, add to the pressure packer, the challenge of looking good or bad in front of a crowd of virtual strangers who spent thousands of dollars on primo seats. If you're given to pressure, the way things go sometimes, players seem to carry on their backs the way they feel when, and how soon, the crowd leaves Reed Arena--that's not good.

Seeing how many stayed last night, to sing the War Hymn along with the players, an aftergame tradition with a win, was demoralizing to this team. Seeing the game well in hand, I saw several Aggie faithful nick out in the fourth quarter. I guarantee that if we'd won against Mississippi State last night, you would have every single ticket-holder have to be swept out of Reed after refusing to leave the scene of the victory.

Players are also surrounded by fans who adopt and nurture them as their own, which is a two-edged sword, but mostly good. Players hear many things, mostly affirmations, from these well-meaning loyalists who want to soften the blow of a loss, and yet, the coaches are trying to teach the players to accept losses, examine root causes, correct the behavior or errors, and to keep on fighting for success. The question never seems to come around to whether these players are letting themselves down. They are last on their own list, much of the time. No time to think! A lot of input is what these players get and perhaps that offsets the pain of statistics of missed opportunities or things that should not have happened.

Numbers are cold, emotionless, and constantly changing. The heart of a coach, though, should remain consistently in teaching and encouraging mode, if you’re going to win in life as much as in the game. Aggie coaches are doing their parts, 24/7, and it is their most important priority.

Speaking only for myself, it would help immeasurably if the administrative leadership of TAMU (academics and athletics) would make their physical presence at the games a priority. Longtime fans remember days of old, where students and players were shown the importance of Aggie athletics for both basketball teams, when the President and Vice Presidents attended the games with their families. Season ticket holders know exactly where those prime seats are and it is beyond frustrating to see them wide open vacant, with only an occasional brave student sliding into a seat or two, which is a good thing, so it won't be such a vast blank space.

It’s powerful and important to kids from towns large and small across the state to see “leadership” supporting their event. Case in point: tomorrow night’s men’s game vs. Kentucky has scalping priced tickets available on Flash Seats for the worst seats in the house. It’s Kentucky and the way Calipari’s one-and-done zen masters are playing, the Aggies could very well hand the Big Blue Nation a battle.

It’s beyond ironic when a Kentucky journalist wrote that “Struggles aside, UK’s Hamidou Diallo still projected as first-round NBA Draft pick.” But what kind of education are these highly celebrated athletes getting year-round from the media?

Diallo is a freshman, and until someone stops the crazy bus, Kentucky will always be a school for the pre-pro players to wear blue and white for one year, sort of, and be called a Wildcat and then move on….without a hope in heck for a college education. Kentucky could care less if their players graduate. Texas A&M cares and devotes major financial resources to teaching their student athletes.

However, in stark contrast to our upcoming Kentucky game tomorrow night, an essentially capacity game, last nights’ women’s game was fortunate to have 300 students from the TAMU Corps of Cadets in the student section. They made a major difference in showing school support.

Shelby Metcalf earned his EdD with his dissertation on how “Crowd Behavior at Southwest Conference Games.” No joke…it’s a real thing. Think about it—how does collective approval via crowd noise impact you directly? Likely it impacts the players with adrenaline, joy, and emotions, as they feel good about what they’re doing for their team and this school, and they deserve the best, same as the others. The crowd is vital.

Just as it was easy to make a greater profit by selling more bottles of water at Aggie concession stands at a lower price (volume, volume, volume), fill the stands with kids who deserve it for free. Simply round up the to-be-unused/unsold-because-we-only love-football administration tickets and give them away for free to students who can’t afford a sports pass, or a $15 plus tax ticket for a reserved seat online, or even a $40 single ticket on Flashseats for Kentucky tomorrow night? Fill Reed Arena with people who really want to be there and can’t afford it, and you can even sell some water and popcorn. It’s a win-win.

If you are free Monday night, come to Rudy's BBQ on Harvey Road and enjoy unscripted remarks with Gary Blair and his audience. Young Elizabeth Miller is a very promising broadcaster and she's not only not self-conscious about being on the radio, just like her dad, Steve Miller, she is delightful. Watching Gary and Elizabeth reminds me of George Burns and Gracie Allen, "So how's your brother, Gracie?" and she'd hold forth!

Now, come Thursday night, everyone is encouraged to get up off the couch and stomp on over (with apologies to the Brothers Johnson), to fill Reed Arena for the next (affordable) women’s basketball game, set for Thursday, February 15 against Florida, and it’s the BTHO Breast Cancer game, so wear your pink shirts (this year’s or last), and show this team the love they deserve. Your presence will make all the difference in the world to these young student-athletes. Stay and allow them to come into the stands and say "thank you for coming," the way their coaches inspire them to do.

Last night, TAMU Head Coach Gary Blair notched his 350th win at Texas A&M with this game, but you can rest assured that only Asst. Sports Information Director David Waxman had that on his mind, because Blair was there to play ball and to teach his kids.

It's never too late to begin to root for this team. No one will ask you how long you've been coming. They'll just be glad you came.