Longhorns spotlight: Ashley Lindsey
Feb. 7, 2009 Georgia Latcham, Texas Media Relations Pulling pranks on teammates isn't the only distinctive trait that Lindsey has. She is famous for her outrageous socks that also serve as her good luck charms. "I have a whole lot of socks, and I'm still collecting," Lindsey said. "I have this one pair, my Tinkerbell socks, and I always wear them before a game. It's like a good luck thing that started last year and I've just been doing it since then." "Brittainey (Raven) liked to wear crazy socks in games, but when she arrived at Texas, she had to stop because the Longhorn uniform is Nike," Lindsey said. "Some people have lucky socks that they wear underneath the Nike socks, some take showers before games, so we've got a lot of people who do have superstitions before games." Not only does the team have interesting pre-game rituals, but they've got a slew of nicknames for each other. "Erika (Arriaran) is Cruella and Aubry (Cook) is Aubrella," Lindsey explained. "They are our second personalities, like when someone is in a bad mood, we'll call them by their nicknames. The coaches call me Ash. Some of the girls call me Slim, Big A, and Shavan. Earnie (Williams) calls me Bobby." If the examples above weren't evidence enough, Lindsey proclaims the team's personality is fun loving and silly. "We're goofy, we're fun to be around, and we enjoy being around each other," Lindsey said. "We'll go to each other's houses and hang out and talk, or go to the movies together." And though Lindsey describes the team as "goofy," they also know when to switch gears to get ready for a game or practice.
"On the court we like to have laughs, but we know when to be goofy and when to be serious," Lindsey explained. "Coach Goestenkors tells us that no matter what's going on in our personal life, we need to leave it outside the arena. We try to make practice fun and easy for the team." A team attitude like that will certainly help the Longhorns reach Lindsey's goal for the NCAA Tournament. Last year the Longhorns made it to the NCAA Second Round before falling to the Connecticut Huskies. Lindsey hopes to make it further this time around. "It's going to be a good season, and I expect to go further than last year," Lindsey mused. "I think we're very capable of going to the Sweet Sixteen or the Elite Eight." It's no wonder that Lindsey has big dreams for this season - it's the last time she'll be suiting up as a Longhorn. Instead of feeling bittersweet about her senior year, she focuses on the positive, which mostly comes from her opportunity to play with her teammates. "I'm glad to be playing with all these people," Lindsey said. "We've got three new freshmen and I'm happy I'm here with them to finish my last year of basketball. We've got Erika back, too. It's been a good season this year." The senior, who plans on playing in the WNBA or overseas once her tenure on the Forty Acres is over, does admit that there may be some emotions when it is all said and done. "When it comes to Senior Night and when the season ends, I'll probably get a little emotional, but I'm excited to move on to the next level," Lindsey explained. The sock-collecting, prank-pulling Lindsey has influenced the team as much as they have influenced her. The memories of Tinkerbell socks and "goofy" teammates will no doubt stay with her throughout her life. |
|
