STARKVILLE
LaToya Thomas was part of the first hey day of Mississippi State women’s basketball.
The Greenville product lit up scoreboards across the Southeastern Conference en route to a career in which she was a four-time Kodak All-American and led the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA tournament three times.
But Thomas, who is MSU’s all-time leading scorer with 2,981 points, never played before a crowd of more than 6,055 at Humphrey Coliseum. That’s why it was so special for the three-time player of the year finalist to be back at the Hump on Sunday to see a crowd of 7,762 on hand to watch then-No. 10 MSU beat then-No. 8 Texas 79-68 before a national television audience on the SEC Network.
“It’s awesome,” Thomas said. “We have been trying to do this for years. The main reason I came here was to build a fan base. I am excited for the girls and the program.”
Thomas had a front-row seat across from the Texas bench to see Morgan William score a game-high 23 points and Victoria Vivians add 19 to lift MSU in its home opener. The victory, the Bulldogs’ first against a top-10 opponent since 2010, helped it climb three spots Monday in The Associated Press’ Top 25. That ranking matches the program’s best in that poll. On Tuesday, MSU climbed two spots to No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
William also benefited from the big win, as she shared SEC Player of the Week honors with South Carolina’s Alaina Coates.
Thomas won that award seven times in a career that saw her average more than 21 points per game and shot better than 52.8 percent from the field in each of her four seasons. She parlayed that success into a seven-year career in the WNBA. Thomas then went on to play basketball professionally overseas. She said Sunday she last played as a pro in 2014 in Turkey.
Currently living in Atlanta, Thomas said she tries to get back to MSU at least once a year. She said she plans to attend the SEC tournament in March in Greenville, South Carolina. On Sunday, she was part of the second-largest crowd in MSU history.
Thomas said she has gotten to know William, Vivians, and others. It isn’t surprising she has spent a little time with two of the team’s junior leaders because they have a similar quiet intensity and deadliness to them. Thomas might not have had the quickness of William or the shooting range of Vivians, but she had a lethal mid-range game and could score against anybody in the post. She likes what she sees from this latest group and handed out some pretty hefty praise for the some of the Bulldogs, especially Vivians.
“I want her to accomplish everything,” Thomas said. “She is a great player. She can really build. She can make this program bigger than I made it or my other teammates made it. She is a great kid.
“She just has to stay focused. Sometimes she will hit bumps it the road, but she has to stay focused. You never know what is going to happen or when it is going to happen. You have to see what is in front of you, not behind you.
Thomas even feels Vivians “can shoot better than me” and she believes Vivians is a better scorer than she was. She smiled and said she tried to do what she could lead the Bulldogs to new heights, but she said Vivians can be even better if she recognizes when she has mismatches.
Thomas said she is catching up with family and “resting” after playing a lengthy basketball career. She said the game against Texas was her first at the Hump in maybe five years. She said she is enjoying herself and hopes to see MSU climb even higher. After seeing MSU deliver in a top-10 battle in front of such a big crowd, Thomas is confident the Bulldogs will realize their goals.
“I enjoyed it,” Thomas said. “(Coach Vic Schaefer) has come in and done a good job with the girls. I have gotten to know a couple of them and we have great group. We have a great group of coaches and players. It feels good to me. It warms my heart to know we are on the right track.”
MSU will face Oregon at 7 p.m. Friday in its first game at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawaii. MSU also will play San Jose State at 7 p.m. Saturday and Hawaii at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the event.
Adam Minichino is sports editor of The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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