FEVER CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

We had so much fun… me, dad and Kendall’s dad (my second papa Ed Hackney)! Of course Ed makes every event funny… we ALWAYS get up and we dance and get on the Video score board! If Ed is in the car on a trip with us we ALWAYS stop for ice cream too! Kendall, I’m sorry you could be here!! The games were all so close and got to meet a bunch of people and I will remember these games and some amazing people I met for the rest of my life!!!

The WNBA President sat right behind us with her family; they were all really really nice and didn’t act like most famous people! She talked to my dad like she had know us for years. My dad said “that lady is absolute first class”! I’m only 11 years old and she made me feel like I was worth talking too and looked me straight in the eye, like I was the only person in the building. THANK YOU Donna!!!!!

Oh yeah… I did meet Ms UCONN, Ms WNBA MVP, Ms Diana Taurasi

I was wearing her full uniform from UCONN and she stopped and talked to me, signed the jersey I was wearing and asked me some questions. I told her I knew Mel Thomas that played at UCONN and Mel’s high school coach was my AAU coach and he works out with me. She was so nice to take so much time to talk to me. I also got her game wore shoes and she signed them and even a UCONN championship ball!

Got to meet the ONLY woman to ever get a contract to play in the NBA!!!!

Her name is Ann Meyers Drysdale and she is the head of basketball for the Phoenix Mercury. She played for UCLA and for the USA and even pro ball. She got a contract to play for the Indiana Pacers NBA team back in the day. I have met her twice and she talked to me for quite a while and we took pictures together . Thank you for being so kind Ann!!

FEVER GOING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP!

My dad and I sat in the FRONT ROW under the basket for the final game of Fever vs. Detroit. I was wearing my lucky antique Larry Bird Basketball Camp shirt from like the 80’s. I was praying the Fever would win, they have never made it to the championships. Timika Catchings landed in dad’s  lap and he had to help her up in the 4th quarter. I’m even in the celebration photo on WNBA.com! You have to look close… closer…. Closer… there I am!!!

Meeting the PRESIDENT!

Not that guy… he’s no big deal!!! I met the REAL President… Donna Orender of the WNBA!!!!!!! I still can’t believe it! When I saw her I knew who she was and marched right up to her and asked if I could please take my picture with her. She came over and talked to my dad to quite a while and wanted him to send her our picture together. WOW, I still can’t believe I met her!

MEETING BECKY HAMMON

OMG!!! Guess What? I got to meet my favorite all time WNBA player Becky Hammon when San Antonio came to Indy. We were the first people at Conseco Fieldhouse, she was so surprised when she saw me walking down the arena stairs wearing her actual game uniform. My dad said she did the biggest double-take he has ever seen! She was so sweet to me and was shocked to see that I had brought her actual WNBA All-Star game shoes that were only made for her. She signed the shoes for me and she took a picture with me. She is so so so COOL!!!

My dad knows a lady that plays with her in Russia and that’s how I got her game wore uniforms. She sent me my favorite birthday gift… a signed poster with my name on it and a cool message…

“To Celina, Keep playing hard and I’ll see you in the WNBA in 2020. God bless, becky hammon.”

CAMPS!!!

MND Camp… Wow, it was amazing. Coach Dante used me to show his drill so many times. A couple girls got mad over it, but I knew the drills and did them all the time. Coach Dante is so serious some time and funny other time. It was a great camp, I knew it would be fun and I always learn a lot from Coach!

Had a great time at IMPACT Basketball Academy. Thanks Tesha and Molly you guys had a great camp especially for a first time camp! Met some really nice a good girls! See you next year!!!

Xavier University Camp… Always AMAZING! The coachs and players are totally great! THANK You and I’ll probably see you guys at every game this year. Oh yeah my sister Alysha is the XU girls basketball team manager… pretty cool!!!

Melvin Levett’s Camp… YEAH COPTER!!! Mel is the BEST! I had so much fun, but was whipped every afternoon and fell asleep in the van on the way home. Lots of really good players and one teams coach wants me to play with his team some and wants to scrimmage against our Toreros team. My dad said he would love to do some scrimmages with them. They were 6th in the AAU Division I Nationals, so they’re good!

SUMMER AAU... LADY TOREROS WITH COACH SPECIAL & APRIL

What a amazing team!!! WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! We had a PERFECT UNDEFEATED season… We all got along so good… Coaches had us winning games against teams that were better than anyone we had ever played against. Too many overtime games and 4 point wins. It was the most exciting season EVER! Thank you Special & April you guys were AMAZING!!! To my teammates THANK YOU for a PERFECT SEASON!!!  Next year NATIONALS!!!

LAROSA’S MVP AWARD

I was so excited that Kendall Hackney was one of 12 female athletes in Cincinnati honored at WCET television station to be up to win the LaRosa’s Female Athlete of the year. Kendall had ask me to go with her dad Ed to accept the award for her since she was already in classes at Northwestern. Kendall WON as the athlete of the year and I got to accept her award LIVE ON TV!!! It was so much fun Mr LaRosa said that he expects me to receiving this award in 7 years and then he told some other men that he seriously expects to see me on that stage in 7 years getting the same award. How cool was that… He even asked me to be in all the pictures with all the male and females players who had a chance to win the 2009 award. Kendall is so amazing! Her dad Ed, called my dad the next morning and said to get the paper, He told my dad “Celina got more ink about her than either of the award winners”. It was funny I had 3 paragraphs about ME. My dad bought a paper for me to keep.

Kendall congratulations and thank you so much for letting me pick up your award!

SPRING AAU... LADY TOREROS& COACH DANTE

We started alittle rough but the team got so much better. We learned so much from Coach Dante this spring. He’s tough but he makes it fun at practice! We started as the second weakest team in our league and having trouble winning a game in tournaments. BUT we ended the season winning 9 of our last 10 games and winning our first tournament and coming in second place in another!!! XU starters Special Jennings and April Philips came to see me play in a tournament and Coach Dante was not able to be at that game so my dad asked if they would coach us that game… well they did and we beat the back-2-back 7th grade tourney champs! They were great!

Coach Dante Harlan THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! We learned so much and had a BLAST!

POINT GUARD COLLEGE

I just went to Point Guard College! It was AMAZING! I learned stuff I never heard before anywhere. I thought I kinda knew how to run point, but I was wrong.

Thank you Lyndsey and Tyler, you made a bunch of weird words all make sense. I took a bunch of notes and checked if my dad paid attention. I really want to do these drills with the Toreros (my aau team).

Lyndsey, sorry about my Iowa uniform, my dad thought it was funny… thanks for not making me run! I want to attend the full week PGC, but I’m too young! My dad said maybe we can both go and pay to watch. I’d still learn a lot cause the classroom really helped me. I’ve got to know what the rest of the letters mean in SCHAPE!!!!

I know to always E2, but first I know to P1à C4 à E2

When I pass, I’ll always remember about PWAP…

I will eagerly hunt the paint; use a DJS and then HUPPPPY.

I will be a greedy receiver, move 1 foot, freeze my finish, and do Goldilocks passes.

My dad bought both books and he’s reading the champions books and I like stuff, nice short chapter, I love it!

Thanks Coach Chris and Coach Sean for letting me attend; I know it was only for high school kids. Thanks for believing in me… I will play for you guys anytime you need me if I’m not in a tournament. You make everything fun, even helping out setting up on Wednesday night.

I just had to do a compare and contrast essay for school today… my topic “Good vs. Great Basketball Players”. I used a ton of stuff from my PGC in it!!!

MAR 2009 - MND WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

MND wins State Championship for the FOURTH TIME IN A ROW!!!

Coach Dante Harlan and ALL the MND girls are AMAZING and I love them! They made history winning Ohio State Division I Girls Championship for the 4th straight year! My dad drove all night from Springfield, MO so we could see them play in the final four and championship games. The Mount Notre Dame girls’ workout and have their pregame shoot-around at our building and it’s my sister’s senior year at MND. Now the seniors have 4 state championship rings…AMAZING. Kendall Hackney, one of the senior’s dad is like my second dad. Kendall was named Ms Basketball in Ohio, first team All American, and is going on a scholarship to the University of Southern California, USC. I had so much fun at state championship, I got to sit and talk Friday and Saturday with the head women’s coach at USC, Mark Trakh. I already met both his assistant coaches and will be playing at USC in 8 years. Coach Mark told my dad he wants me to come visit the campus this summer, attend camp, spend time with his girls, and show me where the movie “Love and Basketball” was filmed.  Dad said he will let me go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAR 2009 - WRIGHT STATE MND WINS

Wright State MND wins!

My girls did it again! I’m so sorry that Shelby tore her ACL she is such a great girl.. Gabby Smith is wearing her jersey 44 for the rest of the season for her… that’s so  cool. Coach Dante was cool as always and Cathrine lit up the threes to get everybody going. Kendall had 20 some points but could have had an easy 30. Her dad almost got me arrested carrying a banner with him and a security guard took it away from us. I love Kendal’s dad… he introduced me to Notre Dame’s coach and she even wrote down my name and put it away. Wow made me feel like I was somebody for a moment! Talked to Tom Jenkins, he knowns everybody in womens basketball. My dad called him the godfather of basketball

FEB 2009 - MELVIN LEVETT

Melvin Levett inducted into the Hall of Fame at UC

My dad says Melvin is one of the finest people his has ever known… he said he is REAL!! There are only a few people he has ever said that about. All I know is that I love Mel, he is the BEST! And I know he deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame. His picture is hanging in my room and our gym of him jumping over me while he is dunking. He is like number 35 of ESPNs best 100 dunks in history. He even donated his GAME WORN jersey from when he scored 10 3-pointer and when he did the #35 ESPN dunk to hang in our gym. He is the head coach at Miami Hamilton University. I love to watch him coach when we go to their games, he get so excited he hops straight up in the air. I love you Mel, thank you for EVERYTHING!!!

FEB 2009 - UC VS WV

I sat on the floor with Bob Huggins, Nick Van Exel and Big Rube

My moms uncle Wayne from WV always comes up to watch the game. He got floor seats for the game here in cincinnati from Huggins and I sat right next to Nick Van Exel, he was so cool. He told me all about his son that is playing ball in Houston and was really nice.  Melvin Levett came over and traded places with my dad and introduced me to Rubin Patterson and a bunch of other guys he played ball with. I got my picture with some of them. Uncle Wayne introduced me to Brent Mushburger the ESPN announcer and to Bobby Knight. Uncle Wayne knows everybody! All my friend call me and dad and said they saw us on tv a lot.

FEB 2009 - WON NCHS MIDWEST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

WON NCHS Midwest Regional Tournament

We won every game… still undefeated. I only played 1 quarter in game one because Coach Tom had told Anna to coach the game and run the older girls until we had a 15 lead… it took forever to get the 15 point lead and Coach Dante came just to watch me play… sorry about the little playing time. Oh well he’ll see me play all AAU season since he’ll be coaching our team the Lady Toreros. But game 2 I ran point the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters and they keep trying to trap me a half court but passing it just before they got to me for an assist to Shani, like probably 10 times. It so much fun playing here! Then the final game I played ALL but 2 minutes of the game… our team crushed. Everybody played great and I got off the best pass of my life, I crossed over left and cut infront of the girl guarding me and dished Bre a wrap around pass at the free throw line that she nailed it! I did my create spaces moves all game and got off a lot of good shots… Dante you da man!!!!

FEB 2009 - NCHS MIDWEST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

NCHS Midwest Regional Tournament starts tomorrow in Cincy

The championship game will be on Xavier University home court at the Cintas Center. I got to play on that court a few times. I hope Special Jennings will get to see me play on her court. Me and my Dad go to the Xavier Lady games all the time and they invited us to come to there practices and that’s pretty neat. Those girls are so good and they and all the coaches treat me and dad like we’re best friends. They will win the A10 again this year I’m sure.

JAN 2009 - LANDMARK EAGLES RULE

Landmark Eagles RULE… still undefeated!

Coach keeps giving me more playing time. I get to run point over half the game all the time now. I love playing against the older girls, they don’t expect me to be able to get around them. But thanks to Coach Dante’s new create space moves, I getting off lots of good shots! 

Coach Tom, Jon and Ken see that I am working hard and always treat me so good. I wish my other friends could play for them, they are not just great coaches but they are amazingly nice and really care about us girls!

DEC 2008 - CHRISTMAS WITH JIM CLAYTON

Christmas with Jim Clayton at Sports City University in WV

Worked out for 2 days with as Coach Dante calls him, “the rock star” of basketball, Jim Clayton. His wife is so nice and her dog is so funny and begged food from me everyday. His son Wes worked me out after I had already worked out all day, but it was really fun. Wes is only 5’ 9” I think, but he can dunk with no problem with a 10 pound weight belt. My dad said it was freakish how high he gets up…his head is above the rim!!! Talk about AMAZING… that’s Wes!

DEC 2008 - STARTED HOME SCHOOL

My Mom and Dad decided to pull me out of St. Bart ( John Paul II) because they were not happy with what I was learning and the amount of homework every night.. I have been there since kindergarten… I am going to miss seeing my friends every day!

Started playing basketball for an AMAZING Home School team

My dad thought home school kids were going to be kinda weird and have zero basketball skills… we were both shocked how nice and good these players are. I have NEVER played for a more AMAZING group of girls and coaches! They all treat me so nice… I absolutely love them!!! Did I mention they are AMAZING!!! The head coach works us hard, but he makes it so much fun and you want to go to practice and get better. Thank you Coach Tom, I’ve never played for a coach that made it so much fun to work hard.

First game in Indianapolis

We won and I got to play a lot with the JV (14U) team. I rode up and back on the bus with all the team members from both the boys and girls teams. Everybody is so cool… I had a great time even though we didn’t get back until about 2:00 am.

OCT 2008 - USC LETTER BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

This is the best day of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got my first recruiting letter!!!!!!!!!

It was from the University of Southern California Trojans. It was from Coach Kai… I am getting this framed!!!

I’m am sooooooo excited I can’t stop smiling. It’s where OJ Mayo went to school and I’ve met him and talked to him and have my picture with him and was on the jumbotron with him and on national television from that. I want to go to USC!!!!

My dad said he will scan the letter for me and put it on my site. This is so cool!          I’m only in the 5thgrade!!!

I looked Coach Kai up on the internet and found out that she “was a standout guard at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Va. During her four years, she set nine school records, including most career three-pointers (216), most three-pointers in a season (66) and most career assists (325). She finished her career ranked No. 3 on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,147 points”.

OCT 2008 - LADY TOREROS AND BETTER BASKETBALL

My dad and Coach Dante just got back from Atlanta from meetings with Better Basketball Video people. My dad said that they are going to put on a clinic here with them. Also Coach Dante will be the head coach of our AAU team the Lady Toreros.

6th Grade tryouts for T-birds

I am playing up a year with the 6th graders. Jim Williams told me I scored really high at tryout and will be called back for both the select and #1 athletic team. The drills were really easy and fast.

SEP 2008 - MND GIRLS AND COLLEGE SCOUTS

9/29 MND Girls & Scouts

The girls from MND have had a couple of open gyms at my gym and I have got to meet a couple of college scouts that were looking at the high school girls. I met and worked out with Coach Dante infront of one of the coaches from USC, her name was Kai and she was way to pretty to be a ball player! But she said a lot of nice things to me, she was really cool!

9/23 Playing 6th Lakota West “4 on 4” basketball league

We’ve had a couple of training and practice sessions and the actual league started Monday night. It was so much fun, but I was whipped. I had just worked out with Coach Dante for over an hour right before we drove to LW to play.