Mart’e Grays

Classroom

Mart’e Grays is an excellent student and has a 3.345 GPA. Last season, she was selected to the Athletic Directors Association National Scholar-Athlete Team. She is a two-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and a two-time recipient of the Shirley Becker Academic Award.

Character

Grays is the kind of high-character individual whom her teammates, coaches and staff members across the spectrum of the DePaul Athletics Department have come to rely on for help and support. She is a sensitive and compassionate person who will go out of her way to help anyone in need. Grays engenders such a high level of trust that people can confide in her and are grateful for her advice and counsel. Her outgoing nature, fun-loving and spirited personality and genuine care for others is uplifting for anyone going through difficult times or simply needing a pick-me-up. Grays has a naturally optimistic nature and establishes the kind of easygoing rapport that makes her an uplifting presence as soon as she enters a room.

Community

Grays has a heart of gold, and her caring nature really shines through during volunteer and community service projects. DePaul is named after a 17th century French priest who went on to become the patron saint for the disenfranchised and marginalized segment of society. As such, DePaul University’s mission is to serve the people with the most critical needs. Grays worked all year with Special Olympics on a number of projects and events. She participated in the Fitness in the Park initiative serving inner-city children, the St. Vincent de Paul Center toy drive for underprivileged children and embraced a team initiative to adopt a family that did not have money for Christmas presents or to properly celebrate the holiday. She also worked on Misericordia Tag Day to raise funds for a children’s orphanage and helped with the DemonTHON Dance Marathon fundraiser. She also volunteered at the Sheffield Garden walk to raise funds for St. Vincent de Paul Church.

Competition

The best way to describe Grays as a competitor is when she was sidelined her entire junior season after sustaining a painful torn Achilles tendon in practice. Rather than feeling sorry for herself, Grays became even more involved in team activities and did whatever she could to help her teammates. Grays rebounded from that adversity in a big way, leading the Blue Demons to their fifth consecutive BIG EAST regular-season title, its third conference crown in the last five years, and to their 16th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Only Notre Dame, UConn, Stanford, Tennessee and Oklahoma can also make that claim. Grays led the team in scoring and averaged more than 15 points a game in conference play. She went on to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors. She began the 2018-19 season as one of only 20 players in the country selected for the prestigious Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award presented by the Naismith Hall of Fame.