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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooner Profile: Courtney Paris
February 22, 2009 | Women's Basketball
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Over the last four years, Courtney Paris has become a household name not only in Oklahoma but throughout the women's college basketball world.
She is the most prolific rebounder in NCAA Division I women's basketball history and holds every school and conference record for points and blocked shots, not to mention her heralded double-double streak that may never be seriously threatened.
She has done it with a dominance, a consistency, and most imporantly a humility which, when you put it all together, makes her the model student-athlete.
It has never been about individual accomplishments for Paris. Despite all the records she holds and the numerous awards she has collected, Paris says there is still one thing missing, the one major reason why she came to Oklahoma -- to win a national championship.
By year's end, she hopes to add that to her résumé as well.
On whether she ever dreamed she would have the career she has had:
"Yes and no. I was really optimistic about my potential in college. I wanted to do well and I wanted to be a part of a great team, and I feel like I've had the opportunity to do both of those things. The big thing I wanted to do was win a national championship, and again I think we have a chance to do that this year. We just have to keep getting better."
On her greatest memory up to this point in her career:
"I wouldn't say it's necessarily a specific thing. It's been more about all the people I've gotten to meet and my teammates who I'm so close with now, and the big games. I can remember the Baylor game a couple years back when Kendra Moore hit that big shot and we won. And Erin Higgins when we played Texas Tech on our home court, she knocked down a huge three and we won that game. Different moments like that coupled with all the people I've been able to meet probably sums it up."
On what is special about this year's team:
"We have really good chemistry on and off the court and we have experience. We learned a lot last year. We had a rough year for our program. We didn't win anything in the Big 12 and got out in the second round which is the lowest we've done since I've been here. The good thing about all that is this year's team has learned from those mistakes. We didn't make that year go in vain, and now we're better because of it."
On how much she has developed as both a person and a player:
"I've been blessed to have great coaches and great people around me. Different players come in and out and you just learn from everybody. Not to mention the education I've received. I'm almost done with my degree, so it's been a great experience all around."
On the entire student-athlete experience:
"Just like basketball, it's a challenge and you have to work hard at it. But in the same way I have a good support staff on this team, I also have a great support staff in the academic centers. The University of Oklahoma does a great job supporting the student-athletes and helping them accomplish things both on and off the court. I feel very blessed to have had that opportunity, both as a Sooner and also as a journalism student."
On having the opportunity to share this experience with her sister:
"It's been really special. You go through a lot in college. One thing I do appreciate, even though we go to school together, we've had the opportunity to grow and make our own friends and do our own things. That's been good for us as well to become our own individuals. Also, Ashley is having a great year this year and it's been cool to watch her be so successful."
On how much different it will be when they're not together every day:
"It's one of those things we've learned in college. It's weird because we play on the same team, but sometimes the most I see Ashley is in practice. I think it's good because you're not just 'the twins' anymore, you're Ashley and Courtney and you go on and develop your own personal skills to do whatever you want to do."
On the fans here at OU and her shout out to them after the Tennessee game:
"It's been amazing. I grew up around Cal-Berkeley and would go to their games, and sometimes there would maybe only be 1,000 people there. I wasn't used to an atmosphere that really supported women's basketball. It's been like that since I've been here at Oklahoma, so it's been really special.
"You want to make the fans proud and you want to give them something back for supporting you so well. I was disappointed after I didn't get that streak, but it was cool to have everyone cheering for me and just being so supportive. It was just an overwhelming experience that I really appreciated."
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