The Gathering

Originally published in SLAM 156

by Eddie Maisonet III / @edthesportsfan

Sometimes you do something memorable and don’t even realize it. For Sydney Moss, that memorable something is her jersey number.

“When I first started playing,” says Moss, “I decided to wear No. 40. I didn’t even realize until later that it was the same number as my father.” Her father, former all-world wide receiver Randy Moss, wore 84, 18 and 81 in the NFL, but he rocked 40 long before that as a high school basketball star.

Over the course of her high school career at Boone County high in Kentucky, Sydney’s made those digits (40) very much her own. Now a senior, Moss has committed to the University of Florida, where she hopes to do something special in Gainesville. “They’ve never won an SEC Championship, and that’s something I want to be a part of.”

The Gators will be getting a 5-11 lefty forward who Nell Fookes, Moss’ coach at Boone County, says can play any position on the floor. So far this senior season, Sydney boasts averages of 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. Her ultimate goal, though, is to win a state championship.

“Her desire to play and be the best player on the floor has elevated her game in ways that are unimaginable,” says Fookes. “On the next level, she’ll be able to play inside and out and be quite effective at it.”