#20 Destini Hughes Season 2024-25
2009 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll
CAREER
Extremely quick point guard and solid defender who was the starter at the position for most of the 2009-10 season … Was the starter at point guard for the first 18 games of the 2011-12 season before suffering a season ending right knee injury at Tennessee on Jan. 19 … Finished her career with 44 starts … Served as a backup to Latear Eason as a junior … Recorded 207 career assists.
SENIOR SEASON (2011-12)
Started the first 18 games of the season before suffering a season-ending right knee injury in the final seconds of the first half at Tennessee on Jan. 19 … Averaged 6.9 points for the season … Put in 10 points and was an efficient 2-of-2 from three-point land in win over #14 Georgetown on Nov. 16 … Tied a career high with four steals and was 4-of-4 from the free throw line against the Hoyas … Terrific all-around game against Grambling on Dec. 22 where she scored eight points, grabbed a season-high five rebounds and collected three steals in 29 minutes … Buried a career-high six field goals and scored 13 points in New Year’s Day win at Ole Miss … Delivered the best game of her career, scoring a career-best 17 points and rallying LSU past Mississippi State on Jan. 5 in a season-high 36 minutes … Swished a career-high five free throws with most of those coming to close out the game in the final minutes … Poured in 11 points and made five free throws in a comeback win over South Carolina on Jan. 12 … In the final game of her career, collected four steals for the eighth time in her career and added five points at Tennessee on Jan. 19 … Sustained torn ligaments and a torn meniscus to her right knee with 1.3 seconds left in the first half when attempting to grab a cross-court inbound pass … Was carted off the floor and did not return … Earned an honorary start on Senior Night against #24 Vanderbilt on Feb. 23 … Allowed to participate in jump ball and was then lifted from the game to a standing ovation in a move agreed upon by coaches Nikki Caldwell and Melanie Balcomb and the officials.
JUNIOR SEASON (2010-11)
Played in all 32 games with three starts while Latear Eason was out with injury … Saw extensive action against Tulane on Nov. 23, scoring seven points with three rebounds and knocking down two clutch threes late in the second half … Tied a career high with four steals in 20 minutes against Howard on Nov. 27 … Scored eight points and buried two threes at No. 1 UConn on Nov. 28 … Dished out a career-high seven assists in 17 minutes against UTSA on Dec. 16 … Started in place of Latear Eason (head injury) at point guard against Alabama on Jan. 9 … It was her first start of the season and first since the 2010 NCAA Tournament Second Round … Accounted for five assists in 18 minutes at Ole Miss on Feb. 6 … The five assists were the most by Hughes in an SEC game during the season … Came off the bench and played tough defense against Auburn on Feb. 10 as she gathered a career-high-tying four steals in 24 minutes.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2009-10)
Emerged as LSU’s starting point guard in the last 10 games of the season … Played in 30 games with 12 starts … Averaged 3.3 points and 2.3 assists per contest … Started her first game of the season against South Carolina on Jan. 21 … Played 37 minutes and responded with six assists and no turnovers … Scored a season-high nine points in the season-opening win over Centenary on Nov. 15 … Returned to the starting lineup on Feb. 7 versus Ole Miss … Scored eight points against the Rebels and sent the game to a second overtime with a game-tying jumper with 0.4 seconds left … Since entering the lineup in that game, had 32 assists in the final 10 games of the season … Scored eight points to go along with four assists in 32 minutes against Mississippi State on Feb. 28 … Also held the Lady Bulldogs’ Alexis Rack to 2-of-12 shooting in that contest … Played all 40 minutes for the first time in her career in the SEC Tournament second round against Vanderbilt … Had seven points, matched a career-high six assists and was 4-of-4 from the free throw line versus the Commodores … Scored four points with six assists and two steals in NCAA second round game at Duke.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2008-09)
LSU’s backup point guard who saw considerable playing time off the bench … Played in all 30 games with 10 starts, including the first three games of the season … Averaged 2.3 points, 1.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 17.5 minutes per game … Scored 14 points — all in the second half — to lead LSU rout of Texas Southern on Dec. 1 … Buried nine points in a span of two minutes as part of a 23-0 run against TSU and finished 3-of-4 from 3-point range … Grabbed a season-high five rebounds versus the Lions … Finished with eight points and was 2-of-2 from 3-point range in New Year’s Day win over Nebraska … Knocked down two crucial threes late that put the game out of reach … Scored six points and added five boards in 33 minutes at #1 Connecticut on Jan. 3 … Made first career SEC start at Arkansas on Jan. 8 and finished with two boards and one assist in 12 minutes … Named to the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL
The nation’s second-rated point guard by ESPN HoopGurlz.com … Called by many as the best and most versatile backcourt defender in the year’s recruiting class … Ranked the 17th-best player overall by HoopGurlz.com and a 2008 McDonald’s All-American … Helped Waxahachie High School to a 30-6 record and a Class 4A state title as a sophomore while playing with her sister, Niqky … Transferred to Class 3A Kennedale High School the following season to play for her father, Vance … Was part of a 25-5 record and a regional semifinal berth as a junior … Earned District 12-3A Most Valuable Player honors that year and was a Class 3A First-Team All-State selection … Voted all-area by the Dallas Morning News … Averaged 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 4.7 steals in 2007 … Recorded 12 double-doubles and nine triple-doubles that season … Also lettered in track … Graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with a 3.8 grade point average.
PERSONAL
Full name is Destini Hughes … Nickname is “D” … Born on April 23, 1990, in Dallas, Texas … Daughter of Vance and LaSonya Hughes … Has one four siblings, Antwan Kirk, Niqky, Jamaika and Vance II … Brother, Antwan Kirk, was an offensive guard in football at the University of Texas … Cousin is Desmond Mason, of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings … Majored in veterinary medicine and earned her undergraduate degree from LSU in Dec. 2011 … Plans on pursuing a career in veterinary medicine.
HUGHES’ CAREER HIGHS
Points, 17, at Mississsippi State; Jan. 5, 2012
Rebounds, 7, vs. Alabama; Jan. 9, 2011
Field Goals, 6, at Ole Miss; Jan. 1, 2012
FG Attempts, 10, at Mississippi State; Jan. 5, 2012
3-Pt Field Goals, 3, vs. Texas Southern; Dec. 1, 2008
3-Pt FG Attempts, 4, three times; last vs. Tulane; Nov. 23, 2010
Free Throws, 5, twice; last vs. South Carolina, Jan. 12, 2012
FT Attempts, 6, three times
Assists, 7, vs. UTSA; Dec. 16, 2010
Steals, 4, several times
Blocks, 2, twice; last vs. Southeastern Louisiana; Dec. 18, 2008
Minutes, 40, vs. Vanderbilt; March 5, 2010 (SEC)