Ta’Shia Phillips

Classroom

Phillips maintains a 2.85 GPA as an entrepreneurial studies major within Xavier’s very challenging and nationally ranked undergraduate business program. She is on track to graduate following the fall 2010 semester and is also looking to pursue her MBA during her final semester of eligibility.

Character

Phillips has been described as an ambassador for the program — she is outgoing, friendly, personable, funny and truly a well-rounded young adult. Any time you have an All-American caliber player that is recognized on campus as much for her status as a student as for her status as a student-athlete you have someone pretty special. People know her for her work in the classroom as well as for her work on the basketball court. She strengthens the team with her commitment to excellence and leads by example more than with words alone. Phillips has been a mentor for incoming players and takes pride in leaving her legacy behind at Xavier.

Community

Most recently Phillips and her teammates participated in the 2010 Cincinnati Race for the Cure, an event that helps raise money for breast cancer research, serving as a finish line volunteer. Originally from Indianapolis, she has also been involved since the age of 16 with “The Family Youth Mentoring Program,” a mentoring program for inner-city girls in Indianapolis. Phillips works approximately four youth basketball clinics per year coaching young ladies ranging from grades 1-8. She also volunteers her time two to three times a year speaking to young men and women about the importance of school and athletics. Phillips volunteered at 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,” an after-school program for at-risk youth.

Competition

Phillips received several honors after her junior season, including WBCA State Farm honorable mention and All-District I selection, first-team All-Atlantic 10 and A-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Other successes in her past include 2008 A-10 Rookie of the Year, 2009 A-10 Player of the Year and 2009 first-team All-A-10. In the summer of 2009 Phillips was a member of the United States World University Games team that won the gold medal in Serbia. On the Xavier career record books, Phillips ranks first all-time with 1,156 rebounds, second with 158 blocked shots and second with a career field-goal percentage of .609. She is only the second person in Xavier history to record 1,000 point and 1,000 rebounds and ranks 13th all-time with 1,380 career points. Last year she finished second in the country with 21 double-doubles. Phillips enters her senior year on the Wade and Wooden Award watch lists, as well as preseason second-team All-American honors from the Sporting News.