By Ned Griffen
Connecticut Sun
Sun rookie a firm believer in practicing hard pays off
MOHEGAN, Conn. – LSU created an award in honor of Allison Hightower, one of several Connecticut Sun rookies.
Think about that for a moment.
LSU has named many of its awards after past greats. The “Floor General” award, for instance, is named for Temeka Johnson, the starting point guard for the defending WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury.
The LSU coaches announced at April’s team banquet that they established a new award – the “Allison Hightower Outstanding Practice Player.”
“Coaches are always looking for great practice players and great practice teams,” LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey said. “We never had anybody practice as hard as she did.
“She had the best work ethic of any player I’ve ever coached. I’ve coached both sides (men and women), and that’s not to say that I haven’t coached players with a great work ethic. Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles both had a great work ethic. On the men’s side, I coached Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who was then known as Chris Jackson, and both had a great work ethic. I can honestly say that I never recall Allison Hightower ever taking one play off or one drill off.”
Hightower gets to show off her hustle – and skills – today as Connecticut opens its exhibition season against Atlanta at Mohegan Sun Arena (11 a.m.)
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