At the start of the 2009-2010 season, Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said her team competes for championships. Injuries and setbacks may happen, but at the end of the day, she challenged her Lady Bulldogs to find a way to get it done.
What a bold statement for Fanning-Otis to make, but her confidence was not without reason. These Lady Bulldogs returned 11 players – eight of them seniors – from last year who got a taste of the NCAA Tournament.
With the men’s team getting most of the headlines, the Lady Bulldogs quietly built a resume, taking on big time teams before competing in the tough SEC. That resume earned MSU a bid in the Big Dance in March, allowing the women to shine on the national stage as they fought their way to the school’s first ever Sweet 16 appearance.
One of Mississippi State’s brightest stars was senior guard Alexis Rack, who set the SEC’s all-time 3-point record with 340 made baskets and finished third in school history with 1,756 career points. Rack and senior Tysheka Grimes were two players who Fanning-Otis said fought in the trenches for four years and had the experience to make this season a success.
Another senior standing tall is 6’5″ Chanel Mokango, who in only two seasons set a school record of 180 blocks.
Fanning-Otis will have a lot of big shoes to fill in the fall.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Nick Brimhall

Senior point guard Alexis Rack drives to the basket in front of a crowd at The Hump.