Donica Cosby, 5-foot-8 senior guard from Coldwater, Miss., is reshaping her game on the court this season for Oklahoma City University.
Cosby sums up her game in one word, “playmaker”. Making plays is exactly what she does each night for the undefeated Stars.
The traditional role of scorer is still a role in which this week’s Super Star of the Week embraces and loves. While putting points on the scoreboard is still a prevalent piece of her game, she has a new – creative – side to her game that she’s been honing in her time wearing an OCU uniform.
Last season, the Stars streaked to the NAIA national tournament semifinals with Cosby ending up as the leading scorer, averaging 13.9 points per game. This season, Cosby is still finding ways to put the ball in the hoop but is also dishing out assists as fast as she can. Cosby’s averaging a respectable 11.3 points per game, which is nothing to sneeze at on its own. She also currently leading the team with 67 total assists, and many of her dishes are worthy of the highlight reels.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love to score,” Cosby said with a chuckle. “I love to score, but I also love to pass. Being that I don’t have to score as much, my passing game is kind of becoming more in effect. I like the passing because of the creativity I’m allowed to present.”
Head coach Rob Edmisson is among those who can be wowed by her moves and her shot creation for her teammates.
“Donica is one of those players that has been God-gifted, Edmisson said. “It’s a vision, it’s an understanding of where your teammates are, it’s the ability to athletically do some things that make you say wow. And she has that.
“She’s one of the few kids that has a wide range of passes in her package. She’s got a repertoire of things that she can do where a lot of kids have to do a two-hand chest pass, but no. She can do the no-look, behind the back, between the legs, around the head no-look.
“When Donica’s got the ball you better get your hands up, keep your eyes on her because you never know when she’s going to drop that thing off to you in the last second.”
Cosby is enjoying this new role and embracing it with a humble attitude for OCU.
“For some odd reason, every team I’ve been a part of in the past I always had to be the scorer - give Donica the ball and let her score,” Cosby said. “This year I’m blessed to have so many talented people around me that can score so therefore I don’t have to. We’re so talented and we have so many awesome players that it makes it seem easy for me, but it’s really them doing their job and I just give them the open pass.”
Passing isn’t a skill that everyone appreciates, but as the one of the NAIA leaders in assists per game know, it’s a necessary attribute of a well-rounded team –especially one vying for a national championship trophy.
“We have high expectations for ourselves,” Cosby said. “Regardless of how many games we win at the end we want a national championship. We have an awesome group of teammates, and I really think we have something special with each other. I think this year is going to be special, I really do.”
Cosby’s playmaking – and passing – ability is one of those things that is already making this season special for the Stars.
More on Donica:
Career plans: Hopefully international ball for the experience, then high school coaching
My next vacation is to: Hopefully to Jamaica one day
Favorite exercise: Squats
Favorite game show: Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Greatest coach of all time: Phil Jackson
