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Lady Vikings’ “Baby Shaq” Could Be One Of City’s Best
“Shaq is one of my favorite players because he’s big and isn’t afraid to go down low and that is exactly how I play my game,” said Gray, who was born and raised in Brownsville and recently moved to the Marcus Garvey Houses. It is precisely that “take no prisoners” attitude that has catapulted Gray into the upper echelon of PSAL players in her second year on the varsity squad. In her freshman season, Gray ranked in the top 15, averaging 20.38 points and 15.06 rebounds. She already has amassed 862 career points and should surpass the current school record of 1,083 points next season. That record was set by forward Camilla Coates, who also accomplished the feat in three seasons. It usually takes many PSAL players until their senior year to put up those types of numbers but Gray is aware that she is a special player capable of being successful against both girls — and boys — almost three years older than she. “I’m definitely one of the top five girls in New York City,” Gray boasts. “When I’m not practicing with my teammates, I’m usually at the parks in Brownsville playing against boys who are older and stronger than I am, so it makes these (PSAL) games seem that much easier.” When Gray plays with the boys, she expects to be treated as an equal because she’s not afraid to mix it up and get physical. She learned her rough-and-tough style of play from her father, Arthur LaSane, who she affectionately calls “coach,” both on and off the court. “He puts pressure on me by practicing with me every day,” said Gray. LaSane was a star with the Tilden High School basketball team in the late 1980’s. “He knows that it’s a big advantage to be a girl of my size in the PSAL and he’s constantly encouraging me to use that size to help both myself and my team be successful,” she said. And it’s obvious that Gray’s dominating presence has been a huge reason for the Lady Chiefs success this year. Canarsie is seeded in this year’s PSAL playoffs, which earned them a first-round bye and a second-round match with Cardozo High School next Tuesday in Queens. But despite that success thus far, Gray knows that they can be even better if they play as a cohesive unit. “Everyone knows we can tend to get a little selfish at times, but the only way we can win it this year is if we play as a team,” said Gray. No matter how well her team performs in the next few years, it is obvious that Gray could go on to bigger and better things with her basketball talent. Gray says she would love to play at the University of North Carolina, Duke University, Rhode Island or the University of Virginia, but realizes her talent won’t be the only thing that gets her into those schools. She said, “I know that my school work is the most important thing right now.” Gray credits former Canarsie girls head basketball coach Michelle Goodman for keeping the pressure on her to perform well on the court and in the classroom. Gray currently has an 80 average and says her favorite subject is history because she loves to learn about past events so she can better understand what is going on in the present. Gray loves working with children and hopes to earn a business degree so she can open a day care center with a business degree. Schools like Duke or UNC will likely admit Gray on a combination of her basketball talents and academic record so she studies hard while continuing to sharpen her basketball skills.
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