Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Dominating the Boards

CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA
CHRIS GRIVAS/THE HOYA
Going into her junior season, forward Andrea White was relatively unknown. In her first two seasons, she averaged less than 10 minutes of playing time and two points per game, failing to ever make the starting five. She was a role player on a team filled with stars such as current WNBA player Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown’s all-time leading scorer.

All this changed after a breakout junior season. In addition to starting all but two games for the Hoyas, she averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 points per game. This year, White enters the season surrounded by high expectations. As co-captain and one of 10 players named to the preseason all-Big East team, she is expected to lead a Georgetown team looking to rebound from the disappointment of last season.

“I am really impressed with Andrea,” interim Head Coach Jim Lewis said. “She is preseason all-Big East. She has committed four years of her life and hard work, so the program owes her as much as it can give her.”

At the beginning of last season, White established herself as a threat. In the Blue and Gray’s season opener last year against Sacred Heart — White’s first career start — she led all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting. She dominated the Pioneers on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds — six of which were offensive.

White continued to put up strong numbers throughout the rest of the Blue and Gray’s season, and her performances throughout the season earned her two mentions on Big East Weekly Honor Roll.

“Seven seniors graduated, [so] I needed to step up and be a big part of the team. I just wanted to do anything I could to help the team out,” White said.

Despite last season’s impressive numbers, White’s performances and contributions often went overlooked. White was the second-leading scorer on last year’s team, but the leading scorer, the WNBA-bound Rodgers, was the name on everyone’s lips.

But Lewis, a WNBA scout for the Los Angeles Sparks at the time, was impressed by White’s grind-it-out style of play.

“I actually saw [Andrea] play last year because I was scouting … for the Sparks,” Lewis said. “Where Sugar was obvious to everyone, I remembered Andrea.”

This season, White and senior point guard Samisha Powell will both take on a bigger role in Georgetown’s offense. White, especially, will likely see an increase in her offense production, as she plans to get more opportunities in the lane.

“As a point guard … I have to get the ball into [Andrea],” point guard Samisha Powell said.

White is less motivated by individual statistics and more by the possibility of playing her way to the Big Dance.

“My personal goal is to make it back to the NCAA tournament,” White said. “Not making the tournament made reality set in. We have to work harder to get back. … I want to make it this year.”

White’s goals are reflected in her style of play. A fundamentally strong player who thrives on the glass, White eschews flashy moves for consistency.

“[On the court,] I just try to help in any way that I can,” White said. “I know I have to be a big rebounder, so if there are any loose balls, I have to go after them. I have to play great defense. I want to be a hustle player just to be a role model for the younger players.”

This bulldog mentality is partly why White is such an impactful player, earning her the Kenneth Klein award last year, given to the team member who demonstrated the most hustle throughout the season.

According to Lewis, White has what it takes to lead the team both on and off the court.

“She truly looks like, sounds like and acts like what everyone should expect from a senior at Georgetown,” Lewis said. “Not a senior athlete, but a senior at Georgetown.”

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