Richardson breaks mold of typical basketball player

By Erin Berry
Staff Writer

Standing at an amazing 6-foot-3, Danielle Richardson does not really look like your typical basketball player, but with a beaming personality and a winning smile you know that she is capable of doing something amazing. Richardson, a senior from Jacksonville, Fla., was one of the team captains for the Lady Braves Basketball team this season, and through her leadership she led her fellow teammates to victory.

Richardson, who was named Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week three times this season, was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year March 5 at the Peach Belt Conference awards ceremony.

“I cried when I received the award,” Richardson said, “but there were so many cute guys in the room, that I didn’t want them to see me with a messy face. The fact that I won this award still hasn’t hit me that hard yet.”

Big brother provides inspiration

Richardson, who played her first two years of college basketball at Seminole Community College in Sanford, Fla. before transferring to UNCP in 2003, says that she has not always been the basketball player that she is now. When she first played basketball she walked onto the court during her freshman year of high school.

“I (wasn’t that good) when I first started playing,” Richardson said. “It was crazy and the only thing that I was good at the time was blocking.”

Her yearn to play basketball wasn’t always there, but after watching her older brother play and witnessing the excitement that the crowd exhibited after he scored baskets, Richardson was hooked.

“I loved the way that he made the crowd feel and I wanted to make them feel the same way,” Richardson said.

Since her initial year on the court was not a success, she enrolled in a basketball camp at The University of North Florida, where she left with more self-confidence after receiving the camp’s Most Improved Player award.

Commitment and listening breeds success

When asked about her teammates and coaching staff, Richardson’s face lit up. She explains that a lot of her accomplishments in basketball this season have come from her commitment and ability to follow directions.

“I do whatever the coaches say and because of their fundamental coaching style, I have not only learned a lot but I have also learned how to apply those skills to my game,” Richardson said. “Coach Haskins helped develop my talent into a more fundamental game.

“I love the team and I’m devastated that I can’t play anymore. All of the girls are special and have their own unique skills and that is what makes us such a great team.”

After she graduates with a degree in mass communications, she plans on trying out for the WNBA to assess her skills. If that does not pan out, she is not hesitant to travel over seas to play basketball