Becoming a Leader
By Maddie Wood
HurricaneSports.com
Erykah Davenport’s first love was never basketball.
Walking into her local recreation center as a 10-year-old, Davenport was looking to join the track team. With a 5-foot-11-inch frame, however, it’s no surprise she quickly caught the eye of the local youth basketball coach, who was determined to recruit her.
After her first practice, Davenport was convinced she would never step foot on a basketball court again, but her mother encouraged her to give it one more shot. That second try was all it took to get her hooked.
Twelve years later, it is safe to say that Davenport has come a long way from her first days in the gym.
Looking back on her time as a Hurricane, she admits in her first years, the struggle to stay focused mentally and physically was a challenge. She credits the major improvements in her game to putting in extra practice sessions, which helped not only her skills, but her confidence.
“Being in the gym when no one’s watching is when you build confidence,” Davenport said. “When you get in front of people, you know you shot this shot 50 times by yourself, so now you’re not afraid.”
Now as a starting senior, Davenport faces the pressures of being a playmaker and leader for both her younger teammates and other top players such as senior forward Keyanna Harris.
“She really helped me step up my game to a new level I never thought I could,” Harris stated.
Being both teammates and roommates, Harris and Davenport have developed a very close friendship. On the court, Harris admitted they can butt heads and be brutally honest in tough times, but it never comes between them as friends.
“We can go at it on the court, and when we come home either of us can be like, ‘Hey I’m coming in to take your jeans. I need to wear these tonight,'” Harris laughed. “We go through what we go through on the court, but when we’re home it’s right back to how it was before.”
It was during their junior and senior seasons that Harris saw Davenport find her voice and step up for the team.
“It was awesome to watch her grow and become a great teammate and leader, and also a double-double queen,” said Harris bragging about her close friend.
It is no secret that Davenport has had an incredible final season.
Davenport has posted memorable performances like the one she had at second-ranked Notre Dame where she scored a career-high 24 points, but it is her consistency that has set her apart from previous years.
This year alone, Davenport has tallied nine double-doubles this season, giving her that “queen” status Harris coined.
While Davenport’s success during her junior and senior year seasons may seem to have come naturally, she was adamant that was not the case.
Davenport credits much of her success and growth as a player to her position coach, Octavia Blue, who helped her overcome some of her challenges she experienced freshman and sophomore year.
“When I first got here, I was not the elite of the team and she just continued to develop me,” Davenport said.
The senior admitted that finally in this season, much of the hard work both her and Blue have put in is starting to pay off.
Davenport recounted, “She pulled a clip from film the other day and said, ‘Erykah, I’ve been trying to get you to do this move for four years. Wow, now you’re flirting with being a pro.'”
In the midst of the regular season and with the postseason looming ahead, Davenport recognizes the need to finish out this yearstrong.
“I just want to make it my duty to perform every night,” Davenport said. “It’s not an easy task. Mentally, you have to be in it, [as well as] physically.”
While still focusing on her the current season, Davenport also has her eyes set on taking her game to the next level. Starting in June, she is headed to a training center to fine tune her skills in preparation for a professional career.
As her time as a Hurricane comes to a close, Davenport is using this final season to solidify her mark at the University of Miami as a major force in women’s college basketball.
“I want people to remember me as a giver first,” Davenport said. “This University has given me such a profound platform, so giving back is the least I can do: in the classroom, on the court and as a person.”
