Living a dream

(My Anderson News column from May 8, 2013)

There is just something about those quiet types, you know.

Not a lot of chatter, not a lot of extraneous noise. When they talk, it's generally to the point.

In the lustrous annals of University of Kentucky basketball, there probably have been few quieter than A'dia Mathies.

That means when she speaks, we'd do well to listen.

Mathies, who just finished her career at the University of Kentucky, spoke loudly in her Wildcat career. She is one of only five players – Valerie Still, Dan Issel, Kenny Walker and Jack Givens are the others – to score over 2,000 points while wearing the Blue and White. During her career, UK advanced to the women's basketball Elite Eight three times.

To put that in perspective, before Mathies arrived on campus in the fall of 2009, Kentucky had made the regional final once. Only once, back in 1982.

UK won an SEC championship and began to make regular appearances in the Top 10.

Even though Mathies was not even ranked in the nation's Top 50 players coming out of Louisville's Iroquois High School, where she won a state championship and was named Miss Basketball, the Los Angeles Sparks made her the 10^th pick in the WNBA draft.

If you follow women's basketball at all, you probably already knew what I just typed out.

And you know that Mathies is worthy to be heard.

The All-American was in Lawrenceburg last Monday to speak at Turner Elementary School.

Her mission was simple and to the point: Do your best in everything you do if you want to be successful.

“I tried to talk about practice and working hard and taking control of your opportunities,” said Mathies, who brought UK teammate Azia Bishop along for the ride.

Mathies got an enormous opportunity because of an ability to play basketball. Because of that ability, she now has a college degree – she graduated from UK on Sunday – and her contract with the Sparks will likely be much more lucrative than the average entry level job for a college graduate.

“I used basketball as a tool,” Mathies said.

A two-time SEC Player of the Year, there is little doubt that Mathies became skilled in her craft, but at the same time, she became a well-rounded person.

The quiet young lady from Louisville eventually became one of the most recognizable – and most beloved – faces of UK women's basketball.

“In order to grow and be the person I need to be, I know I need to interact with people,” Mathies said with a smile.

Last Monday, Mathies showed just how much she has grown since casting her lot with Kentucky. Mathies spoke briefly, then took questions from Wildcat wannabes.

Her sport?

“Take your sport seriously and work hard,” Mathies said. “If you do, your college will be able to pay for going to school.”

But always, Mathies said, take advantage of the opportunities.

That is exactly what Mathies did when she surprised many observers by turning down a chance to play for her hometown team, winding up 75 miles east.

Still scored more points and a handful of other Wildcat women have been higher-ranked recruits than Mathies coming out of high school. But it can be argued that A'dia Mathies is the most important player to ever ink with the Kentucky women. Surely, it would be hard to envision the kind of success UK has had over the last few years without Adia Mathies.

That Mathies, the high school senior, chose UK the same year Louisville made its first appearance in the women's Final Four is significant.

“I wanted to get a little bit away from Louisville,” Mathies said.

But she also invoked the name of a Cardinal great for her ambition. “I wanted to be the Angel McCoughtry for the UK team,” Mathies said.

While Mathies was never able to lead the Wildcats into the Final Four – UConn ended the run the last two years – she unquestionably fueled the transformation of UK Hoops from SEC also-ran to contender.

“I'm glad I made that choice,” Mathies said. “It worked out really well.”

Mathies was planning to leave for Los Angeles after her graduation. The Sparks' first pre-season game is Sunday with the first regular season game set for June 1 in San Antonio.

(The best chance for Kentucky fans to catch Mathies in person will be when the Sparks visit the Indiana Fever on Thursday, Aug. 8 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.)

But last week, A'dia Mathies, the quiet superstar, left her mark in Lawrenceburg.

“It's a rush,” she smiled when asked if she liked going into the schools. “I hope I got through to just one of them.”

It is the message all should hear and believe.

“If you continue to work hard and put your grades first,” Mathies said, “you can live out a dream like I have.”