After a rough freshman season, former Hartsville standout Shakaira Hamlin considered leaving Queens College.
Then Trudi Lacey arrived on campus and changed that.
Lacey brought with her a wealth of basketball knowledge and expertise. As a player, she was standout for Kay Yow at N.C. State, has her jersey retired at the school and was named to the ACC Legends team.
And her coaching resúmé — which began at Francis Marion in 1987 — includes jobs at Maryland, South Florida, USA Basketball and the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting, which folded in 2007.
“Coach Lacey being here has had a pretty big impact,” said Hamlin. “She is demanding and she won’t settle for any less. She doesn’t like to be around mediocre (effort).”
Being at Queens gives Lacey a chance to be around the game again.
After the Sting folded, she was concentrating on her business, Lacey & Co., LLC, — a comprehensive executive coaching firm that specializes in strategic initiatives, performance coaching, personal development and organizational leadership training.
“The game of basketball is in my blood and I like having an impact on the girls,” Lacey said.
Lacey’s arrival has helped turn around a struggling program. Queens won 15 games last season, the most since 2002-03, and the Royals have 11 wins heading into Thursday’s game against Lees-McRae.
And Hamlin has had a key role in their success.
The junior is averaging 10.3 points a game, third-best on the team and earned Conference Carolinas Player of the Week honors last month for the first time in her career.
Her best game came against conference-leading Barton where she scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds for her first-double-double of the season.
“She has done things I didn’t expect and has been a pleasant surprise overall,” Lacey said of Hamlin. “She is one of our best defensive players, has a great work ethic and is a good team player.”
Queens also plays more of an up-tempo aggressive style of basketball since Lacey arrived, which Hamlin says she enjoys more.
That’s the kind of style Hamlin was used to playing growing up in Hartsville where she sometimes was the only girl playing against a group of boys.
“It was like street ball and it helped me being physical,” Hamlin said. “It made me tough.”
The toughness Hamlin plays with on the court has been tested at times especially after the death of her cousin Antonio, who died in a car accident in July.
Hamlin and her cousin were the same age and were best friends growing up even though the duo’s personalities were opposites.
The memory of her cousin is evident every time she steps out on the court as Psalm 23 is written on her shoes.
“This has definitely been my toughest year at school and I didn’t know how I was going to make it,” Hamlin said. “He was such an inspiration to me and I know he would want me out there doing the best I can.”
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement