Amber Harris

Classroom

Harris graduated with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts last spring. She is currently pursuing a degree in criminal justice and would like to be a police officer after her basketball career is over.

Character

Harris has been described by her coaches as a player that comes along once every few years. She has never been complacent as an individual or with regards to her team. Harris came to Xavier as one of the best players in the country and five years later she stills wants to get better and to make her team better. Given the chance to enter into the WNBA and leave school a year early, Harris decided to return to Xavier for her final year of eligibility. Not many female student-athletes have the opportunity to leave early for the professional ranks and Harris was one of the first high-profile players to not leave school early given the chance.

Community

Harris and her teammates volunteered at the 2010 Cincinnati Race for the Cure, an event that helps raise money for breast cancer research. She volunteers her time two to three times a year speaking to young men and women about the importance of school and athletics and works four or five youth basketball clinics per year coaching young ladies in grades 1-8. Harris volunteered for the Diabetes Walk for the Cure in 2007 and 2008 and participated in the “Crosstown Helpout” in the summer of 2008, an activity in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati women’s team to build a playground for young children in the Cincinnati area. Additionally, she has worked with the Ronald McDonald House, volunteered at a soup kitchen, delivered Christmas gifts to adults at ICRON, a nonprofit organization for the mentally ill and homeless of Cincinnati, and coached a clinic called “Girls Only,” which is an after school program for at-risk youth.

Competition

The most highly decorated player in Xavier program history, Harris became Xavier’s first-ever WBCA State Farm All-America selection following her junior season. She was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and was also selected as an Associated Press third-team All-American. Harris was listed on the Wooden Award final ballot and was a Naismith Award Midseason Top-30 selection in 2009-10. She has three times been named to the A-10 All-Conference first team, and was named the A-10 Rookie of the Year in 2007. She enters her senior season on the preseason Wade Trophy and Wooden Award watch lists, as well as a preseason first-team All-American selection by the Sporting News and a second-team All-American pick by Lindy’s Sports and Athlon Sports.