TCU women’s basketball senior center Latricia Lovings quit basketball in sixth grade. Now, she has been invited to participate in the ProHoops Combine.

“I decided to try out [for the basketball team] in sixth grade because I thought it would be cool, but the first day was a lot of running and stuff,” Lovings, who goes by “L.T.,” said. “So, I went to my mom and begged her to let me quit, and she did.”

Lovings said she decided to give basketball another try the next year after being convinced by the coaches to return.

“I was the tallest in my class, so the coaches said, ‘Just come out and try,’” Lovings said. “They just kind of like convinced me to get on the court, and that’s what I did. That is when it all started.”

Lovings said she didn’t realize how good of a basketball player she was until she got to college.

“Before college, I played basketball because I liked it, and once I got to college, that’s when I fell in love with it,” Lovings said.

Lovings attended Paschal High School in Fort Worth, where she played on the varsity basketball team during her first three years of high school. During her senior year, Lovings played on the club level to focus on playing varsity volleyball. She was playing with her club team, the Fort Worth Frogs, when she was recruited to TCU by former head coach Jeff Mittie.

Now, after a record-setting career at TCU, Lovings will showcase her talents for pro coaches and scouts at the ProHoops Combine in Nashville, Tenn.

During her sophomore season, Lovings was ranked No. 25 in the NCAA in blocked shots and No. 3 in blocked shots during her junior season.

This season, Lovings continued her success on the court blocking shots, breaking Sandora Irvin’s record of 62 consecutive games with a block.

“To me, my best accomplishment was two years of being ranked in the nation for something I love to do, which is play defense and block shots,” Lovings said. “For me to have this opportunity starting from such little skills compared to the girls I play with today who started when they were three or four years old – it is very humbling.”

Lovings said there are still things she wants to improve on in preparation for the ProHoops Combine, including her post play and her offensive skills.

The ProHoops Combine starts on April 5.