Last Sunday the Florida Gulf Coast women’s team had a 22-PT win over Liberty in the ASUN tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Eagles lost back-to-back games in November but have won 25 in a row and are back in the NCAA tourney for the 4th straight year. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Tyra Cox about her role as Diversity Inclusion Chair and making the NCAA tourney.
You began your college career at William & Mary: what made you decide to transfer, and what made you choose FGCU? I got really sick due to some mold in my room and my doctor found out that I was deathly allergic to that. It is an older school so switching rooms would not have helped because there was mold everywhere. FGCU had recruited me out of high school and is close to my home so I got in touch with them and then came here.
You play for Coach Karl Smesko: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? I have been in boardrooms with VPs but he is 1 of the smartest people I have ever met. He knows so much not just about basketball but many other things as well. He creates such a good game plan that even if we are undersized we know that we can compete with anyone.
You are majoring in Management with a concentration in International Business: what made you choose those subjects, and will the post-college plan include a job at Disney?! My plans have changed a little since I was a freshman: I already have my undergrad degree and will be getting my MBA. I love to talk and meet people and have traveled a lot (which is why I attended 11 different schools!), so now I am looking at consulting.
You are the Diversity Inclusion Chair within FGCU athletics: what is the purpose of the position, and what have you been able to accomplish so far? I also sit on a council with some athletic administrators. I try to represent our student-athletes and raise any issues that people may have concerning diversity. We have a lot of international students so we have discussed having cultural events. I have helped organize some town halls and also helped lead a unity march last November.
What is it like to be a college basketball player during a pandemic? It is a challenge for sure. Our games were taken away from us and then we had to find a way to stay in shape when gyms were closed: we tried Zumba workouts at home while having film sessions on Zoom. We could not hang out with anyone but it is still very rewarding to get to play basketball.
You led the team this year with 38.4 3P%: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just hard work. Coach spends time with me after practice and we use machines that calculate my arc to ensure that I stay within 44-46%. We shoot threes in practice so in games it just becomes 2nd nature.
You lost back-to-back games right after Thanksgiving: how have you been able to win each of your 25 games since then? The beginning of the season was rough: I was out with a broken hand and 1 of my teammates was injured as well. We have focused on efficiency on both offense and defense: we try to do what we do well and exploit the weaknesses of our opponents.
Take me through the ASUN tourney last week:
In the quarterfinals you scored a career-high 21 PTS/7-13 3PM in a win over Jacksonville: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? The conference tourney is 1 of the most stressful times of the year so it is just about focus. We took it 1 game at a time and wanted to make sure that we gave ourselves the best possible chance to win while leaving no room for doubt.
In the title game you scored 5 PTS in a 22-PT win over Liberty: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was amazing! We were crowned co-champs last year and had such a great season before the NCAA tourney was canceled: to go get that win this year made me feel that it was for our senior class last year. This was my 4th title…but it is still exciting!
How do you feel about being a #11-seed, and what do you know about Michigan? Sometimes your seed is not exactly what you hoped for or expected but we are just happy to be in the NCAA tourney. You cannot count us out no matter what # is in front of our name. We are preparing for Michigan right now but know that we will have to really guard the post and hit shots (as always).
Your father Fred played football at Illinois: who is the best athlete in the family, and how does he feel about the Wolverines?! I would say that I am the best: he played in the Big 10 but he is moving a little slower now! He says that we have to beat the Blue and is calling me every couple of days to ask about our scouting reports. He is also happy that his Illinois team is a #1-seed on the men’s side.