ROCKINGHAM – Dannon Shepard has been named the Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week presented by McNair Auto Sales. Shepard is in her first full season as a member of the Lady Raiders basketball team, and has recently earned more playing time. A threat from beyond the arc, Shepard’s nomination comes as a result of best shooting performance of the year last week off the bench against Pinecrest High School.
Name: Dannon Shepard
Age: 16
Year: Junior
Winter Sport: Basketball
Position: Guard
Years on Varsity: 1.5 Years
Height & Weight: 5’9”, 150 lbs.
Experience: 5 Years
RSHS Academics: With the second semester of her junior year underway, Shepard is enrolled in the business and health sciences clusters at Richmond Senior High School. An A/B honor roll student who takes honors classes, Shepard is taking Honors American History, Honors English III, Honors Marketing and Spanish II.
“English,” Shepard said when asked what her favorite class is. “I’ve always liked reading and I like the concept of English.
“I’m a big Shakespeare fan,” she continued. “Reading it takes a lot to understand. I like to go back over the text and grasp the concept. I enjoy the challenge.”
Shepard also explained that she’s looking forward to taking some classes at Richmond Community College during her senior year. More specifically, she’s hoping to take an online Criminal Justice introduction course.
RSHS Sports: Shepard is in her third year with the Richmond basketball program and her first full season with head coach Rosalind McDonald and the varsity team. As it’s the only sport she participates in at Richmond, Shepard has put all of her effort and focus into making the team better.
“I played ninth grade basketball as a freshman,” Shepard explained. “And then I was on junior varsity as a sophomore before getting called up to varsity halfway through the season. I’m glad to be here and to be getting more playing time and contributing to the team.”
Hobbies: One of the things Shepard enjoys most when she’s away from the Richmond basketball team is basketball. She explained that she loves to play pickup games with her friends for “fun”, but also uses these games to “better” her play.
“Something else I enjoy doing is watching James Harden highlights,” Shepard said of the NBA star who plays for the Houston Rockets. “I’ve seen him three times and love the way he plays. He’s got great shooting ability, crossovers and his facial expressions are funny. I watch him play to make me better.”
Other things that Shepard enjoys in her spare time are “things normal teenagers do,” like hang out with friends and “eat a lot of food.” In the past, she has also volunteered her time at a local rest home, explaining she has a soft spot for helping the elderly.
Interesting Fact: Shepard’s interesting fact about herself is her shoe collection. Noting that she has several pairs in her sneaker collection, she does have a select few that she treasures more than the others.
“I have two pairs of James Harden’s shoes,” Shepard said. “My favorite pair are my pink Hardens because they’re so hot and I just love James Harden.”
Shepard’s collection is also comprised of two pairs of Stephen Curry sneakers, and she noted that she’s also a “Vans freak.” To compliment her taste in sneakers, Shepard also has started matching her socks to her shoes.
College Aspirations: Set to graduate in the spring of 2019, Shepard is trying to enjoy her high school days. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t already thinking about what she wants to do after her days at Richmond are over. She wants to pursue a four-year degree, with hopes of making it big in her respective field.
“My goal is to work my way up to the FBI,” Shepard explained. “I’m going to do two years at RichmondCC to get my prerequisites finished. And then I’m thinking of going to UNC Pembroke to earn my degree in criminal justice. Pembroke is my favorite right now because they have a big criminal justice department.
“I’m also looking at Wingate University,” Shepard continued. “The campus was really pretty and it also has a really good psychology program.”
Shepard also said that it’s a possibility that she pursues to play college basketball, but currently, nothing is set in stone.
Mentor: Each week, the Richmond Observer asks its Official Female Athlete of the Week to explain a person who has influenced her life. And for Shepard, she chose two people close to her and one person who has served as a role model in her basketball career.
“My Grammy and Pa have always inspired me,” Shepard said of her grandparents Miriam and Tommy Haire. “They come to all my basketball games and lift me up when I need it. They’ve both always been a big influence in my life.”
Shepard also continued speaking about how Harden has served as a mentor to her.
“James Harden is so passionate when he plays basketball,” Shepard explained. “When I watch him play, he inspires me to be better. And seeing the way he plays takes me away if I’m having a bad day.
“When he makes a shot, he points in the air,” Shepard continued. “And that’s where I got it from. He’s a great basketball player and a mentor of mine.”
Player of the Week Stats: Lady Raiders head coach Rosalind McDonald acknowledged that her players earn playing time in games based on how they perform in practice. And in regard to Shepard, she’s been getting more consistent playing time in the last two weeks. Her biggest performance this season came last week against Pinecrest High School when she netted eight points off the bench to help lead a strong second-half comeback despite losing to the Lady Patriots 48-40.
With the Lady Raiders trailing Pinecrest 33-17 with 3:31 left in the third, Shepard hit her first bucket of the night after gathering an offensive rebound in the paint. On the ensuing Richmond possession, Shepard kicked out to the left corner and received an outlet pass, which she pulled up a contested shot and buried a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 11 points.
Later, Shepard contributed to a Lady Raiders’ a 9-0 Lady run over a 1:12 span in the fourth quarter, that saw her hit her second three-pointer of the night, this time from the top of the arc. Shepard also played strong defense and had several good passes to teammates that resulted in buckets.
You had your biggest game of the season against Pinecrest. Describe that performance.
“I knew that (my performance) wouldn’t happen if I didn’t get in the game, so I went out there confident,” Shepard said. “When I got the offensive rebound and basket, that’s what sparked it. I just knew that I had to go out there and do my part to help my team.
“I tell myself that bad shots lead to better ones, and I hit my first three-pointer,” Shepard continued. “It was great to be a part of that comeback even though we didn’t win. I wanted to help be a part of the change. It’s my time – my turn to step up. And it felt good to do that (against Pinecrest)."
What are your expectations for the rest of the season for you and the Lady Raiders?
“I personally hope to achieve better shots, and take smart shots,” Shepard said. “I need to look for the open man and minimize my turnovers. But I just want to help my team get the W.
“As a team, we need to put up more shots and hit them,” she added. “We are building our confidence and trying to bring each other up. Have a strong self-esteem is good for our confidence. And we just need to continue to get better each game."
Coach’s Corner: McDonald expressed her satisfaction with Shepard’s progression this season.
“Dannon hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time this year, but the way she came out the way she did (against Pinecrest), I know it boosted her confidence,” McDonald said. “It really boosted the whole team’s confidence in her. And it let us know we need to get her out there a lot more.
“Playing time is earned in practice,” McDonald continued. “So, as long as she continues to do the things we need, then she’ll step out there. Number one is defense – she’s a great shooter, and with those two combined, she’ll definitely see some time.”
