Hoops Royalty

Epiphanny Prince was a pro way before now.

by Angel Gray

Epiphanny Prince has been in the spotlight from as early as 13 years old. Regardless of age and gender, she competed against the best. Proof of her success leads up to her top-10 ranking amongst the guards in her class, becoming an All-American, and setting records at Rutgers University before it was her time to leave.

Prince made it clear her decision to leave school to turn pro overseas was simple: “I was ready and the opportunity presented itself.” She didn’t make this decision by herself. She is very close to her family. Her AAU coach and mentor, Apache Paschall, adds, “[The Prince family] tends to sit down at the table as a family and discuss the pros and cons of the situation.” Prince has a strong support system, and she is even taking her Uncle overseas with her.

Despite the decisions on Prince’s plate, she had to tackle an even more emotional task: She had to let her friends, teammates and coaches know about her move. She was a leader and a floor general for the Lady Scarlet Knights and there was no doubt that letting them know would be difficult.

“It was very hard for me because of the different relationships that were built. I felt more at ease when they let me know how much they supported my decision.” Prince states.

As far as her education, she plans on finishing one of her two majors in the summer. She will complete the next one when time permits. Leaving will be hard, but she is staying positive and realizes this is a good move for her and her family.

Playing overseas is a dream for many individuals. The opportunity for her to compete at a high level and gain pro experience will help her when she enters the 2010 WNBA Draft.

Her goal overseas is simple: to compete. “Epiphanny is a confident, but humble individual who wants to get better,” Paschall states. When she was 13, Prince played against the 17 under National team at Rutgers Park. Paschall adds, “She takes each game and looks at it as another opportunity to improve. She can dominate wherever she goes.”

Epiphanny Prince has not yet chosen a team, but wherever she goes, she has the star potential.

Angel Gray is a communications major at Florida State University and member of the Lady Seminoles basketball team.