The Graduate: La Toya Micheaux Forges Her Own Trail In Aggieland
Nov 10, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2008
When it came down to deciding where she would play Division I basketball and earn her degree, Texas A&M senior center La Toya Micheaux didn't have to look too far from home.
As one of head coach Gary Blair and his coaching staff's top recruits in the Class of 2004, Micheaux found herself torn between the lure of established basketball programs out-of-state or building a program from the ground up at Texas A&M, which was just an hour and a half away from her home in Missouri City, Texas.
Living in the shadow of her famous father, Larry "Mr. Mean" Micheaux, who helped put the slam in Phi Slama Jama at the University of Houston in the early 80's, La Toya has made her own mark on Aggie Basketball over the last three seasons.
Last year, Micheaux made 31 starts and helped lead the Aggies to their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight appearance and Big 12 Tournament title. She also set a school single-game NCAA Tournament record with six steals in the first round versus UTSA and also had breakout performances in the team's Big 12 tourney run.
Seven months removed from A&M's eight-point brush with fate and battling in the paint with current WNBA star and Tennessee All-American Candace Parker, Micheaux is still on a quest for more hardware and rings to match her father's three trips to the NCAA Final Four with Houston that included a 1983 national championship game appearance against North Carolina State.
Off the court, she is one of three women's basketball players in the last two seasons to graduate from A&M in under three and a half years - three years to be exact for Micheaux. Former teammates Katy Pounds (2005-08) and La Toya Gulley (2005-08) had accomplished it, giving her the extra motivation and willpower to do the same.
"When I graduated from high school, I told my mom that I was going to graduate in three years from college," Micheaux said. "I really wanted to earn my master's and get it all done on time to be able to give myself enough time to enjoy my senior season, while preparing for a pro career in basketball and a career in the business world after college."
The decision to go the three-year or less route was now easier for the 6-foot-3 post player known as "Miss Mean" on the court with her own teammates serving as shining examples of successful balancing acts. Although her academic advisors had warned her against the class load which could put more pressure on herself during the season, Micheaux was determined to persevere.
After a smooth freshman year, where she was taking sophomore and junior level courses, her sophomore year presented her with a challenge that saw her grade-point average drop. But, with the around-the-clock access to tutors and one of the nation's top academic support staffs, Micheaux continued to take 15 credits per semester and 12 hours during summer school to raise her GPA.
"As a student-athlete, you can still be as determined to finish not only on the court, but in the classroom," she said. "Katy Pounds was the first to graduate in three full years which really encouraged me. You just have to ask the question of yourself, `What can you make out of your four years?' I wanted to use all of the resources available at A&M. I was literally taking a class every semester that it was possible."
As she walked across the commencement stage this August, Micheaux knew she owed her Aggie experience to two important people in her life, Larry and Annette Micheaux. Her parents are both educators at Stafford High School and have always pushed their children to do well in academics first and athletics second. As she looks at her Aggie ring and diploma proudly, Micheaux knows that Texas A&M was where she was meant to be and where she will send her children in the future.
Now, in graduate school working towards a master's degree in education and human resource development, Micheaux's goal is to graduate within a year from when she received her bachelor's degree in sport management. The transition from undergrad to graduate level courses has gone smoothly.
"Class was a piece of cake for me after my sophomore year, so I was a little nervous and skeptical of what it was going to take in graduate school," Micheaux said. "The difference is that there is more reading, researching and writing 20-page papers. A lot of my teachers compliment me on my success and the maturity level of being able to handle all of the reading and writing."
If she has the opportunity to play in the WNBA or overseas after her eligibility has been completed, Micheaux has planned to take online correspondence courses to finish her degree. But first, she is ready to embark on her senior season in 2008-09 with the hopes of building on last year's success and possibly toward a national championship title.
"My goal for this season is to step up on a leadership level," Micheaux said. "After losing (Patrice) Reado, Aqua (Franklin) and Morenike (Atunrase) to graduation, my second goal is to provide more scoring options for our team and really become a beast inside the paint. I want to come out very aggressive and carry the name, "Miss Mean" boldly."
Micheaux also credits Texas A&M's academic support staff, housed in the Alice and Erle Nye Academic Center in the Bright Complex, and associate athletic director for academics Ingrid Villar-Woods for her progress and success.
"They are very supportive in every aspect," Micheaux said. "No matter what class you are taking, they will find a tutor that best fits your needs and have many study sessions available. They are always striving for kids to be successful and are making sure that you are passing your classes with A's and B's."
This past summer, Micheaux completed an internship with the College Station Chamber of Commerce and adidas which helped her gain experience toward a future career in the sports industry.
"Micheaux took her degree to another level this summer," Blair said. "She did a lot of groundwork and worked on several committees to see what the business side of sports is all about. She definitely has a life after college in the sporting world and has so many options available to her. Whether she becomes an agent or works for a high-profile company, she knows she can do all of that once she retires from basketball."
The three-year trend continues for the A&M women's basketball program as junior forward Damitria Buchanan is on course to graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Like Micheaux, Pounds and Gulley, her sights are now set on graduate school in the near future and has the support of her family and A&M to thank.
