Nov. 6, 2013
TODAY’S FEATURED PLAYER: Christina Foggie
Sr., Guard, 5-9
Hometown: Mount Laurel, N.J.
The player who wears No. 10 for Vanderbilt is an old Foggie.
And that’s a good thing for the Commodores. A very good thing.
Having recovered from last season’s knee injury, senior Christina Foggie is back to her old self and is once again moving free and easy — and quickly.
The speedy guard, who has scored more than 1,000 points in her career and led the SEC in scoring as a sophomore, was injured late last season and missed six games. And although she returned to action before the season ended, it wasn’t until months later that she was back to 100 percent.
Now, as she approaches her final season, Foggie is once again going full throttle and is eager to play a leadership role for the young Commodores, who have just three upperclassmen on the roster.
Today, Foggie – who was recently named All-SEC First Team by the conference’s coaches – is our featured player as we continue our Countdown to Tipoff.
Foggie recently sat down for an interview with vucommodores.com to talk about the coming season and a few other topics. Here’s what she had to say:
Q-AND-A WITH CHRISTINA
QUESTION: Let’s talk a little bit about last year and your injury. How frustrating was it to be sidelined and miss some games down the stretch?
FOGGIE: It was tough getting hurt during a crucial part of the SEC schedule and I definitely wasn’t expecting to have such an impactful injury. But my teammates really stepped up (while I was out), and then I was able to return after a few weeks. … The team needed some of the things I could bring, so I was willing to do that. After the season was over, I was able to rest and rehab, and I was cleared to play in the summer at the end of July. And I’ve been 100 percent since then, and been good to go. I’ve been to every workout since I’ve been cleared. I’m good. I no longer have to wear a big brace, so (the knee) feels free, and this year, it’s a new slate.
QUESTION: When you were a young player on this team, did you find yourself looking up to the more experienced players? And if so, do you feel like it’s now your turn to kind of “pay it forward”?
FOGGIE: When I was a freshman, I looked up to Jence Rhoads, who was an All-SEC point guard. I also looked up to Gabby Smith, who was only a year older than me, but she was a shooting guard in the system (like I am) and she really helped me get acclimated to Coach Balcomb’s system. So those are the two players that I looked up to. And (this year), with all the younger guards – JJ (Jasmine Jenkins) and Mo (Morgan Batey) and Becca (Rebekah Dahlman) – I just try to give them tips about how to succeed in the system and how they can succeed in the SEC in general.
QUESTION: You have collected so many awards, both individually and team-wise, during your career at Vanderbilt. But is there one, in particular, that is special to you? And why?
FOGGIE: I think the most special moment was beating Tennessee. That’s not a tangible award, but I remember that night we were a very driven Vanderbilt basketball team, and we accomplished something that doesn’t happen very often. To be a part of one of the teams that beat Tennessee, that was huge because I can always look back at that and say (we did it). I think that was my most cherished “award.”
QUESTION: What is it about Memorial Gym, other than just the home crowd, that makes this place so special and gives this team such a homecourt advantage?
FOGGIE: Our fans and our arena are just something that you don’t come across very often. It’s very, very special. Our fans really support us, and that makes us feel really comfortable. Also, having the benches on the baselines is a huge advantage for us. … So really, the gym – the historic nature of the gym – is something we’re comfortable with. For other teams, I can see why it’s something that’s hard to deal with because you really can’t hear your coach if you’re down on the opposite end.
QUESTION: How cool was it to reach the 1,000-point plateau in career scoring last season? Is that something you ever envisioned happening before you came to Vanderbilt?
FOGGIE: No, I don’t think so. Coming in freshman year, I was literally like `I will do whatever it takes to contribute to the team, even if I’m sitting on the bench.’ You never know, coming from high school, how your career is going to go. And so, achieving (1,000 points) was very cool. I never expected it to come so soon, but it was just something that happened. Under Coach Balcomb’s system, she believes in me and she believes in Jasmine (Lister), so that made it easy to feel comfortable with the offense.
CHRISTINA’S FAVORITES
Favorite movie: Mean Girls
Favorite fast-food place: Chick-fil-A
Favorite athlete (past or present): Diana Taurasi
Favorite vacation spot: Bahamas
Favorite celebrity: Kerry Washington
Favorite TV Show: Modern Family
Favorite band/artist: Chris Brown
Favorite thing to do on an off day from practice: Sleep
Favorite book: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (by Steig Larsson)
Favorite song: We Can’t Stop (by Miley Cyrus)
Most famous person you’ve ever meet: Denzel Washington
Famous person you would most like to meet (past or present): Beyonce
What is your oddest talent: Remembering song lyrics
My ultimate dream job: Professional basketball player
Name one thing on your bucket list: Visit Italy
