Healthy Douglas hopes to
realize dream
By Anne McLaren
Assistant Sports Editor
Purdue's first two-time All-American is finally
healthy and is looking forward to her professional career.
Katie Douglas, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward, hopes
to hear her name announced this morning during the 2001 WNBA Draft in
Secaucus, N.J.
"I have no idea where I'm going to end up, but
I'm excited that I will hopefully get the opportunity to play," said
Douglas. "It's obviously a dream and a goal of mine."
Douglas, who played through numerous injuries this
season — tendinitis, ankle sprains and a concussion — appeared
to finally be back to last season's level of play towards the end of
this season.
During the 1999-2000 season, Douglas averaged 20.4
points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
This season, she was averaging 13.5 points through
the first 26 games. However, over the last 11 games she averaged 20.3
points per game to finish at 15.5 for the season.
"I think towards the end of the season I was probably
feeling about the healthiest I'd felt and I was starting to get my confidence
back and my strength back in my body, which is good," said Douglas.
"I also felt like it was time for me to step up to another level in
the tournament, in the Big Tens and in the NCAAs."
With five steals in the national championship game,
Douglas finished the season with a Purdue single-season high of 101
and the school's career leader with 327. She also ranks third in points,
third in assists, seventh in rebounds and ninth in blocks on the all-time
lists.
"I think she will be a very versatile player in
the WNBA," said Indiana Fever (and former Purdue) coach Nell Fortner,
in a chat on WNBA.com. "She has good size. The other thing she has is
that mental part of the game that will help her through the tough adjustment
period for young players."
Part of Douglas' toughness has come from surviving
hardships most people don't undergo until they are much older than 21.
Douglas has overcome the death of both her father, Ken, and her mother,
Karen, to cancer since she graduated from high school. A teammate, Tiffany
Young, died July 31, 1999, after being hit by a drunk driver.
"I've had a great support group and great group
of teammates and friends who have stuck with me through the tough times
and have been extremely supportive for me," said Douglas. "I came to
Purdue because of that family-type atmosphere. I couldn't probably have
done or accomplished what I've accomplished without them. They were
there to pick me up when I was having sad times."
One of Douglas' close friends is Purdue kicker
Travis Dorsch. Dorsch attended many of the women's basketball games
this season.
"Katie's a great person," said Dorsch. "A lot of
people don't get a chance to know her. She's a very private person.
She likes to spend time with herself and with her close friends. People
who get to know Katie are very lucky because she's a great person."
Douglas said, "The relationships that I've developed
here at Purdue are going to be lifelong, not just college. It's going
to be something special that means a lot to me."
One special relationship Douglas has is with the
other four seniors — Camille Cooper, Candi Crawford, Mo-nique Langston
and Shinika Parks. The senior class finished as the all-time winningest
class in Big Ten history with 111 wins. As freshmen, they were 23-10,
as sophomores they were 34-1, as juniors they were 23-8 and as seniors
they finished 31-7.
Douglas said that winning the national championship
in 1999 was obviously one of the highlights. But she has other memorable
moments on the basketball court as well.
"I will always remember the Tennessee game when
we played them here (Nov. 15, 1999) and how awesome that was to come
in our first game and really set the tone for the rest of the season,"
said Douglas.
At the time, Tennessee had won three straight national
championships and had also won 46 straight games. But behind 24 points
from Stephanie (White) McCarty and 18 points from Cooper, the Boilers
won 78-68.
From a personal standpoint, Douglas said she'll
always remember the game-winning shots she hit. As a freshman, she hit
the game-winning shot against Illinois in the regular season and against
Iowa in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. As a sophomore
she hit the game-winning shot at Penn State to secure an undefeated
conference season.
As a junior, she hit the game-winner against Dayton
in the season-opener. This season she hit the game-winning shot at Ohio
State in double overtime and against Texas Tech in the NCAA tournament.
Though her potential game-winning shot didn't fall against Notre Dame
in the championship game this season, Douglas said it was still a great
season.
"Realizing that a lot of people don't get the opportunity
to play in one Final Four, to get the chance to play in two Final Fours
and two national championship games is a tremendous accomplishment,"
she said. "Although we came up short, I think we had a great run. I
couldn’t be prouder of our team."
Douglas has one semester remaining before she graduates
this December with a degree in communication (public relations). Besides
playing basketball, she is not sure what she wants to do in the future.
"Maybe a college assistant coach or getting into
broadcasting," she said. "Those are probably my two avenues that I want
to try."
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