Swoopes dreams

Sporting News, The, Nov 24, 1997 by Ray Glass

Five seasons ago, Sheryl Swoopes and her Texas Tech teammates won the NCAA women's title, setting the standard for the Lady Raider program.

That caught the attention of Alicia Thompson, then a two-sport high school standout in Big Lake, Texas. "I didn't know anything about Tech before the national championship," she says.

That has changed, of course. The Lady Raiders have remained among the nation's elite Division I-A programs, reaching the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 three of the past four seasons. And Thompson, 21, has emerged as a star, a 6-1 All-American forward who--like her predecessor Swoopes--may be able to lead Tech to the Final Four.

"I went through a year with Sheryl as a senior and watched her (excel) in adverse situations. I haven's had that opportunity with Chelle yet," Tech coach Marsha Sharp says, referring to Thompson by the nickname derived from her middle name, Rachelle.

"But my gut feeling is she will get similar things done. I think most great players are leaders simply because they lead by example. It has been really evident to me that it's become a priority for Chelle this year to lead."

Thompson says she spent the summer thinking about her role as a senior with the Lady Raiders, who may have the most depth in school history and have been tabbed as Big 12 preseason favorites.

"I view myself as a leader, because I think all upperclassmen should be," she says. "I say things when I feel words need to be spoken. But until then, I just try to play hard and lead by my actions."

Thompson has done that since her sophomore season, when she blossomed as a starter and averaged 17.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Last season, she improved those numbers to 23.7 and 9.6, respectively, leading the Big 12 in both categories. With a solid senior season, Thompson could finish among the school's top three career scorers and rebounders.

It is inevitable that comparisons are drawn between Thompson and Swoopes, the best player in Lady Raider history. Both can play the perimeter or inside, end tech has designed offenses specifically to get the ball into their hands. But they have different styles.

"I'd say Sheryl is more graceful, while Alicia is more of a power player," says Melinda White, a second-grade teacher in Lubbock who played at Tech with both athletes.

Texas coach Jody Conradt has seen both players up close and has watched both dominate her team. Swoopes scored 53 against the Lady Longhorns in a 1993 game. Thompson rang up 47 against Texas last February 5. Tech was 4-2 against Texas with Swoopes on the floor and is 4-2 against UT with Thompson.

"Sheryl was a tremendous shooter. Alicia is a scorer, and you know the difference in terms of being a shooter and a scorer," Conradt says. "They're both effective. They both get their 20 or 30 points, but they don't get them the same way. Now, what they do for their team is very similar. They make everybody on their team better."

Thompson has downplayed the comparisons to Swoopes. "It's an honor to be compared to somebody who is such a great athlete," she says. "But my remark is always, 'Well, I hope not to be the next Sheryl Swoopes, but I hope to be the first Alicia Thompson.' I want to make a name for myself. I want people to remember me as Alicia Thompson.

"It's not that I hate being compared to her, because that's awesome. But we are totally different players. There are some things we may do similarly, but there's a lot of things we do differently."

Thompson's legacy, much like Swoopes', ultimately may be tied to what she is able to do as a senior. With 10 seniors and juniors, four returning starters and three All-American junior college transfers, Tech appears poised for a serious run. In addition, Tech will host the Midwest Regional in March, meaning the Lady Raiders could play four home games in the NCAA tourney for the opportunity to advance to the Final Four in Kansas City.

But merely getting back to the Final Four won't be enough for some Lady Raiders fans who yearn for a repeat of that magical 1992-93 season. "Fans think every team that comes along needs to go that far, Thompson says. "But that was a completely different team. It's going to take time."

"I think everywhere our players go they hear, `Can you go win it? Can you go win it?'" Sharp says. "Really, maybe for the first time since 1993, we have a team mature enough to handle that kind of an expectation."

It may be as simple as following Thompson's lead.

Ray Glass covers women's college basketball for the Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal.

RELATED ARTICLE: Women's Top 25

1. Tennessee: Take the best player in the college women's game--Chamique Holdsclaw, add one of the most talented recruiting classes of all time, and the Vols are the odds-on favorite to win a third straight NCAA title--provided they don't self-destruct.

2. Louisiana Tech: Center Alisa Burras leads a talented cast that includes five returning starters. If some outside shooting can be found, Tech should be headed to Kansas City in March.

3. Old Dominion: With the return of stellar point guard Ticha Penicheiro, anything is possible--as long as newcomers Emmora Keenan and Jessica Williams can help replace the loss of 6-5 forward Clarisse Machanguana.