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You know, the ladies on the court. About eight years ago, the NBA threw its muscle behind the women’s game and started the WNBA, giving the great women basketball players a chance to shine at the highest level here on the shores of the United States. It has not been easy and the women’s game still has its naysayers. In that context, imagine how particularly gratifying it is for a local girl who wowed fans in high school to grow up into a pro basketball payer right before the collective eyes of her hometown? It’s kind of hard to put into words. But watch the parents, grandparents, who came down from Detroit, and college coach of 23-year-old Tai Dillard. Seeing all the love on that Friday after the San Antonio Silver Stars’ hard-fought 72-63 win over the Sacramento Monarchs at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, one gets the picture. And even though there will be losses and wins alike as Tai goes through her second season, nothing can diminish the joy of continuing a stellar career in front of the hometown crowd. Tai, a feisty, 5-foot-9 guard who can wreak havoc on opposing offenses from either position in the backcourt, might be best remembered for her stellar career at Sam Houston High School in San Antonio. Dillard led the Cherokees, who since have been renamed the Hurricanes, to the state title finals in 1998, her junior year, and 1999 as a senior. She then went on to star at the University of Texas under the legendary Coach Jody Conradt, helping lead the Longhorns to the Final Four in Atlanta in 2003. Even though her respective teams came up short in the past, she can’t help but expect the best now. The Silver Stars went 12-22 in her first season, 2003, but are off to a strong 3-2 start this season, including a key 64-55 win on the road against the Houston Comets. Also, Tai is ranked tenth in the WNBA in steals per 40 minutes, averaging 3.2 picks. Not bad for an undrafted player who was, primarily, a shooter in high school and college. That is just a testament to Tai’s incredible work ethic, drive and determination. “As an undrafted player, I know I have to work hard every time I step on the floor. But working hard is just my style. It pays off,” said Tai. “Tai is one who just needs some time to develop and more confidence,” said Silver Stars coach Dee Brown before the start of the season of Tai’s importance to the team’s backcourt. “You got quality players who can step up. You want to have depth. The team has been known to play players for 35 minutes and not really have someone to step up. But now we have bench strength,” Brown added when summing up his team’s prospect before the season. “It feels great to be playing at home. It is such a blessing to be playing in front of my friends and family. I think the fans love hometown products so I just embrace their love,” said Tai. Her parents, Porter Dillard Jr. and Robin, cultivated her gifts at an early age and by her preteen years envisioned the greatness that thousands see when Tai comes off the bench for the Silver Stars. “I used to play a lot at Fort Sam Houston and the YMCA,” said Porter. “I used to take her when she was little with me during the day me when her mom was working as a nurse at nights.” Tai remembers those days well. “I just started playing at five or six. My dad used to take my brother, Jarrett, and I to the gym. So while he was playing, I would be on the sidelines doing my own basketball drills.” That beautiful handle and the ability to disassemble an opposing player’s handle became evident at 11 years old while she played for a San Antonio Department of Parks and Recreation team. It was enough to get Porter and Robin to see the future a lot more clearly. “She was on a 10-11 year old team and when they was playing a team of older high school girls at Davis-Scott YMCA. When I saw her dribble around and through those 16-year-old girls, I knew she was something special,” said Porter. Her summer hoops career in AAU ball was just as remarkable. “Her team was called the Diamondbacks, with 16 year olds. The first year they were organized they qualified for nationals. They faced a team from Indiana and I think because it was a first time for them they did not perform well at all. The second year they got back to nationals and they just kept getting better,” said Porter. Tai was a natural and versatile athlete, playing volleyball as well as basketball at Sam Houston, the school she had her heart set on from watching football games of the then-Cherokees. After getting to Sam Houston, the AAU exposure and Sam Houston getting to the state finals raised her stock in the recruiting race. Eventually, she also got some help from her volleyball coach. “I don’t think my parents really though about me having a career in basketball. I know we talked about me getting a scholarship in a sport. I think when I signed up to play AAU is when they thought getting a scholarship could happen. “I don’t remember the exact number but I think it was over 20 colleges that recruited me.” Tai said. According to Porter, she had narrowed her choices down to Colorado, Rice, the University of Texas, Arkansas and Southwest Texas State, which since then has been renamed Texas State. “As a child, I never really knew about Texas. But when I got to high school, my volleyball coach’s daughter, Demetria Sance, played volleyball for Texas and coach would take the team to go see her play. After that, I got hooked on Texas,” Tai remembered. “Coach Phillip Sance put Tai on Conradt’s radar and after that she kept up on Tai and watched her progress,” added Porter. “The decision to go to Texas was my decision. I would try to ask them where I should go but they would say ‘It is your choice.’ I loved Texas because it was close but not too close and I loved the atmosphere in Austin,” Tai said. The Dillard clan loved it too as Texas made it to the Final Four on Tai’s watch. “When Texas was in the Final Four. There were 15 to 20 cousins there. Some came from Detroit and there were others who already lived in Atlanta. But it was just incredible,” said Porter. When Tai’s collegiate playing days were over it appeared as if fans would have to be content with just her greatness at Sam Houston and Texas. But truly great evaluators of talent knew better. “ I think, inside of her, she wanted to explore the opportunity. The L.A. Sparks had made contact with her and were going to have her try out. For the Sliver Stars, they liked the energy with which she played. And the tenacity on defense is what caught the eye of the coaches,” said Porter. It’s caught our eye too.
 Copyright 2006 by BlackAthlete.net, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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