#32 Danielle Ballard Season 2024-25
HONORS & AWARDS
2014-15 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention
2014-15 WBCA All-Region 3 First Team
2014-15 ESPNW, USBWA, SEC, LSWA Player of the Week · Jan. 19
2014-15 All-SEC First Team · Coaches
2014-15 All-SEC Second Team · Associated Press
2014-15 All-SEC Defensive Team · Coaches
2014-15 All-SEC Preseason First Team · Coaches
2014-15 LSWA Louisiana Player of the Year
2014-15 LSWA All-Louisiana First Team
2014-15 Most Valuable Player · LSU Team Award
2014-15 All-SEC Preseason First Team (Coaches)
2013-14 All-SEC Preseason Second Team (Coaches)
2014 LSWA All-Louisiana Third Team
2013 Freshman All-America Third Team (Full Court)
2013 SEC All-Freshman Team
2013 SEC All-Defensive Team
2013 LSWA Louisiana Freshman of the Year
2013 LSWA All-Louisiana Second Team
2012-13 SEC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 26, Dec. 24, Jan. 7, Feb. 18, March 4)
JUNIOR SEASON (2014-15)
Ballard was a preseason All-SEC First-Team selection heading into the 2014-15 season after she put together a NCAA Tournament for the ages to lead the Lady Tigers to their second straight NCAA Sweet 16 appearance … Missed LSU’s first 14 games (Nov. 14-Jan. 4) due to a violation of team rules … Returned to game competition on Jan. 8, 2015 against Vanderbilt … Amassed a team-leading 14.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game … The 2.9 steals would be 1st, the 14.5 points would be 6th, the 7.2 rebounds would be 7th and the 2.9 assists would be tied for 10th if Ballard qualified for the SEC rankings … Secured All-SEC First-Team and All-SEC Defensive-Team honors … Strung together 10-plus points in 13 consecutive games (Jan. 15-March 6) where she has poured in 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists per game … The 14, 10-plus point performances were third on the team only behind Raigyne Moncrief (22) and DaShawn Harden (15) … Her rankings during the SEC regular season in conference games: The 3.1 steals were 1st, the 14.3 points were 6th, the 7.2 rebounds were 8th and the 2.9 assists were 10th … Provided 5.1 of her 7.2 rebounds on the defensive end which ranked 4th in league games … Exploded for 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting coupled with 10 rebounds at No. 15 Mississippi State (Jan. 15) … Tallied 18 of the 24 points in the second half and the two overtime periods highlighted by a game-tying three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left to force a 2nd overtime period … Racked up a career-high tying 25 points coupled with season’s best five assists and five steals versus No. 10 Kentucky (Jan. 18) … Earned SEC, ESPNW and USBWA Player of the Week honors (Week of Jan. 19) … Added 11 points and a career-high tying seven steals against Ole Miss (Jan. 29) … Pumped in 16 points and 11 rebounds versus Missouri (Feb. 2) … Registered her third double-double of the season with 16 points and a season’s best 12 rebounds at No. 1 South Carolina (Feb. 12) … Turned in 13 points and 12 rebounds against Georgia (Feb. 19) … The 12 rebounds enabled Ballard to surpass 500 career rebounds … Collected 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals versus No. 12 Texas A&M (March 1) … Piled up 22 points and 10 rebounds against No. 18 Texas A&M (March 6) in LSU’s SEC Tournament Quarterfinal win … Marked the 2nd time on the season that Ballard has posted consecutive 20-point efforts … Filled the box score with 17 points, seven rebounds, six steals, three assists and a career-high tying two blocks at No. 25 USF (March 21) during the NCAA Tournament … Heads into her senior season 23 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2013-14)
Started 26 of her 30 appearances on the season and LSU’s final 23 games (Dec. 30-March 30) … Season averages were 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game … Secured 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals during season-opener versus Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 8) … Compiled a terrific all-around effort with 12 points, nine rebounds and a career-best seven assists against Saint Joseph’s (Nov. 10) … Secured 10 points which included the game-winning layup with 20 seconds left versus Michigan (Nov. 30) during the championship game of the Barclays Invitational … Garnered seven points, eight rebounds and three assists at North Carolina State (Dec. 20) … Nine of Ballard’s 15 double figure scoring efforts have come against SEC opponents … Exploded a career-high tying 25 points and notched eight of her 11 field goals on layups at No. 5 Tennessee (Jan. 2) … Also came away with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals versus the Lady Vols … Garnered her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds against Florida (Jan. 12) … Poured in a 23-point effort to go along with seven rebounds and five assists at No. 24 Vanderbilt (Jan. 19) … Registered 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists at Ole Miss (Jan. 26) … Held scoreless at No. 13 Kentucky (Feb. 2) … Turned in 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists at No. 19 Texas A&M (Feb. 9) … Added 11 points, six rebounds and two assists at Georgia (Feb. 20) … Picked up 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists during LSU’s SEC Tournament win over Alabama (March 6) … Recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high tying seven assists against No. 6 Tennessee (March 7) … Ballard’s 23.3 points per game were ninth, while her 14.0 rebounds per game were third in the NCAA Tournament rankings … Poured in 24 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and handed out four assists during LSU’s NCAA First Round win over Georgia Tech (March 23) … Came away with 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in LSU’s NCAA Second Round victory over No. 7 West Virginia (March 25) … Pumped in 24 points and 10 rebounds at No. 4 Louisville (March 30) during NCAA Sweet 16 … The last LSU player to collect 20-plus points in three straight games was Theresa Plaisance from Nov. 25-Dec. 9, 2012.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2012-13)
One of the most prolific freshmen in LSU history, shattering the school single-season record for steals with 100 … Played in 34 games with 28 starts … Posted 12.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game … Ranked second among all SEC freshmen in scoring and rebounding … Became the first LSU player to lead the SEC in steals since Marie Ferdinand in 2000 … Shattered Ferdinand’s single-season steals record and became the first LSU player – men or women – to tally 100 steals in a season … Ranked second nationally among all freshmen in steals … Amassed double-figures 21 times and had three double-doubles … Secured the most SEC Freshman of the Week honors in school history with five … Named a third-team Freshman All-American by Full Court … Poured in a then career-high 25 points which included the final 10 points of the first half to lead LSU past No. 12 West Virginia (Nov. 23) … Finished 10-of-16 from the floor, while collecting five steals and eight rebounds against the Mountaineers … After posting a combined 38 points in two games, was named to the FIU Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team and named SEC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 26) … Joined the starting lineup versus North Carolina State (Dec. 2) … Scored 16 points in her first career start against the Wolfpack and drained a three-pointer from the top of the key off a steal she made at the first half buzzer … Had one of the best freshman performances in LSU history against Grambling State (Dec. 21) where she scored 21 points and matched a then LSU freshmen record for steals with seven … The previous mark was held by Joyce Walker who had seven steals against Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 12, 1981 … The seven steals also tied for fifth overall in LSU single-game annals … Pumped in 21 points aided by a 9-of-10 effort at the foul line versus McNeese State (Nov. 21) … Became the first LSU freshman with back-to-back 20-point games since Seimone Augustus at the 2003 SEC Tournament … Provided 20 points on 10-of-12 from the floor in 24 minutes against UNO (Dec. 31) … Carried LSU to its first SEC win versus Ole Miss (Jan. 3) where she registered her first career double-double with 24 points and a then career-best 12 rebounds … Named SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time (Jan. 7) … Tallied eight points and four steals highlighted by the game-preserving one with 18 seconds remaining at Auburn (Jan. 31) … In 36 minutes, grabbed a then career-high 15 rebounds against No. 9 Georgia (Feb. 10) … Secured 19 points and four steals at Mississippi State (Feb. 17) … Notched her second career double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds, versus Alabama (Feb. 28) … Added five steals during the Bama game to break the LSU freshman single-season record … Became the first freshmen since Sylvia Fowles (2004-05) to record back-to-back double-doubles when she added 15 points and 11 rebounds at No. 13 Texas A&M (March 3) … Shattered the LSU single-season steals record with two and tallied 16 points along with six assists versus Green Bay (March 24) during her first career NCAA Tournament game … Chipped in 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting against No. 6 California (March 30) in NCAA Sweet 16.
HIGH SCHOOL
A versatile guard and scorer ranked among the best in the nation … Tabbed as the No. 25 overall high school player in America by ESPN Hoop Gurlz and the No. 7 ranked guard … As a junior, led Memphis Central to its first Class 3A state championship in 89 years after averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.8 steals per game … Memphis Central finished with a 29-9 mark and a No. 11 national ranking in the ESPN Fab 50 poll in 2011 … Invited to compete at the USA Basketball U17 Team Trials in the summer of 2011 … Coached by Niki Bray.
PERSONAL
Full name is Danielle Yvette Ballard … Born on Nov. 16, 1993, in Shelby County, Tenn. … Daughter of Blanche Ballard and Danny Nolen … Has three siblings – Danny, Darian and Daniel … Major is interdisciplinary studies.
BALLARD’S CAREER HIGHS
Points: 25; three times; last: No. 10 Kentucky; Jan. 18, 2015
Rebounds: 17; Georgia Tech; March 23, 2014 – NCAA Tournament 1st Round
Field Goals: 12; at No. 4 Louisville; March 30, 2014 – NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
FG Attempts: 25; two times; last: at No. 4 Louisville; March 30, 2014 – NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
3-Pt Field Goals: 2; North Carolina State; Dec. 2, 2012
3-Pt FG Attempts: 4; at Georgetown; Nov. 19, 2012
Free Throws: 10; Georgia Tech; March 23, 2014 – NCAA Tournament 1st Round
FT Attempts: 12; Georgia Tech; March 23, 2014 – NCAA Tournament 1st Round
Assists: 7; two times; last: vs. No. 6 Tennessee; March 7, 2014 – SEC Tournament 2nd Round
Steals: 7; two times; last: Ole Miss; Jan. 29, 2015
Blocks: 2; two times; last: at No. 25 USF; March 21, 2015 – NCAA Tournament 1st Round
Minutes: 41; at Missouri; Feb. 22, 2013 (OT)
BALLARD’S TOP 10 SCORING GAMES
Rank; Points; Opponent; Date
1; 25; No. 10 Kentucky; Jan. 18, 2015
1; 25; at No. 5 Tennessee; Jan. 2, 2014
1; 25; vs. No. 12 West Virginia; Nov. 23, 2012
4; 24; at No. 15 Mississippi State; Jan. 15, 2015
4; 24; at No. 4 Louisville; March 30, 2014 – NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
4; 24; Georgia Tech; March 23, 2014 – NCAA Tournament 1st Round
4; 24; Ole Miss; Jan. 3, 2013
8; 23; at No. 24 Vanderbilt; Jan. 19, 2014
9; 22; vs. No. 18 Texas A&M; March 6, 2015 – SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
9; 22; No. 7 West Virginia; March 25, 2014 – NCAA Tournament 2nd Round
9; 22; at No. 19 Texas A&M; (Feb. 9, 2014)