Heard Mentality: Lauren Heard is rewriting TCU basketball history
By Sederick Oliver II
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There are three things in life that are certain: death, taxes and Lauren Heard leaving everything out on the basketball court.
Embodying the spirit of one of her favorite players, Russell Westbrook, she hardly takes a single play off.
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TCU guard Lauren Heard lays-in a contested bucket at the rim over an Oklahoma State defender. (Photo courtesy of GoFrogs.com)
TCU guard Lauren Heard lays-in a contested bucket at the rim over an Oklahoma State defender. (Photo courtesy of GoFrogs.com)
“I love his [Westbrook's] competitive edge and his explosiveness,” Heard said. Adding, “Everything he does is aggressive and he takes whatever the defense gives him.”
Heard also cited Candace Parker, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James as early influences on her playing style.
“Growing up I kind of idolized these players because of their dominance over the game," Heard said. "I found it crazy how everyone could be so good in a professional league, yet you have these individuals that’ve clearly set themselves apart.”
Heard's relentlessness and passion has propelled her to star status with a coveted career cemented in TCU basketball lore.
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TCU guard Lauren Heard (20) cuts through the lane in a win versus Texas Tech Jan. 23, 2021. (JD Pells/TCU 360)
TCU guard Lauren Heard (20) cuts through the lane in a win versus Texas Tech Jan. 23, 2021. (JD Pells/TCU 360)
With a mom who played at the high school and collegiate levels, Heard was introduced to the game at an early age.
By five she was playing in the “Little Dribblers League” at the Martin Luther King Center in Denton, Texas.
Heard ran track and played volleyball and softball, but basketball won her heart.
“It got to the point where I was having more fun with basketball, and so it stuck with me.”
Sticking with it
Committing herself to basketball, Heard improved her skills and became a standout player, garnering attention at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas.
Ranked a 4-star recruit by Premier Basketball Report, she was the No. 4 point guard in Texas and the No. 66 overall guard in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz. Heard was named TABC Girls' All-State, District 6-6A MVP and TABC All-Region 6A-1 after her senior season.
She scored over 2,000 points in her high school career, and averaged 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.1 steals per game as a senior. She also led Guyer to the UIL 6A state playoffs as a sophomore and junior.
On Aug. 31, 2016, she committed to TCU, where she would play as a point guard.
Heard was headed for greatness.
I am so blessed to announce that I have committed to TCU to further my academic and athletic career!
— Lo (@laurenheard_) August 31, 2016pic.twitter.com/oUBw0e1Cra
But the transition from high school to the collegiate level had its difficulties.
Namely, the speed of the game.
At the collegiate level, the game is much faster and requires more thinking ahead, especially as a point guard.
Heard is in charge of dictating the flow and rhythm of the offense and ensuring that every single possession ends with an efficient shot attempt.
"You have to make quick decisions and not hold the ball," Heard said. "In high school, you do what you're told with no purpose behind it but in college you have to make reads on your own and know how to read defenses and run an offense."
Despite the challenges, she has succeeded and broken virtually every women's playing record.
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TCU guard Lauren Heard (20) advances the ball against Texas during an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
TCU guard Lauren Heard (20) advances the ball against Texas during an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
A record breaker
Among her many records at TCU include: setting the program single-game steals record with 11 at Oklahoma, the program single-season record for free throws made with 171 in the 2019-20 season, the single-season record for scoring average with 21.2 ppg in 2020-21, and owning the program record for free throws made with 484 (at the time of this writing) in a career.
With records comes awards.
Boasting honors such as multiple Big 12 Player of the Weeks, 2019-20 All-Big 12 First Team, 2020-21 All-Big 12 First Team, and 2020-21 Big 12 All-Defensive Team, Heard is as decorated as they come.
"My favorite current record would have to be the free throw ones, because it's something I've already secured," Heard said. "I'm not fighting anyone for it and if anyone wants to take it after me they can."
Heard also said obtaining the all-time scoring record would be the highlight of her career. On March 2, 2022, she did that.
But despite all the accomplishments and accolades Heard said, “the team always comes first.”
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No ' I ' in team
“I’m not too fond of scoring 30 and the show being about me when everyone else can eat.”
In an age of advanced analytics and perceived stat-padding, it is rare a player truly has a team-first mindset.
Her selflessness has a ripple effect, allowing the team to truly play an unselfish brand of basketball. This is evident in the dip in her scoring average this season compared to her 2020-21 numbers.
“I think it's cool to show you can score consistently and be that for your team, but I do like it when the load is a little lighter, it's more fun that way,” Heard said.
Prior to this season, Heard experienced an increase in her points every single season, doubling her averages between her sophomore and junior years, going from 9.1 to 18.4 points per game.
This culminated in her averaging a career high while simultaneously setting a TCU single-season record of 21.7 points per game in 2020-21, her senior season. But she has returned for her fifth year taking less shot attempts to get other team members more involved.
“I know they (scouts and general managers) look for that type of unselfishness and team-oriented play at the next level, as well," Heard said.
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Changing the perception
Historically, women's basketball players have been subjected to criticism regarding their play.
Heard said she sees this as a misguided lack of judgment and wishes viewers could watch and appreciate the women's game for all that it is.
"It's not relying on physicality and freak of natures that are pinning layups off of the backboard like Ja Morant," Heard said. "It's hard work, it's communication, strategy and working together."
She believes the point of reference for most viewers is the NBA, which has a certain "wow factor" that the WNBA is said to not provide.
Times are changing and professional athletes such as Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Caitlin Clark (Iowa Hawkeyes), are bringing a certain flair to the game that could potentially grow the audience of women's basketball.
With the WNBA recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the game continues to expand globally.
The "W" has hit many milestones including its new collective bargaining agreement with the league in 2020. The league also expanded its broadcast reach a few years back in a new deal with CBS.
Austin billionaires, Michael and Susan Dell have invested an undisclosed amount as part of a $75 million fundraising haul for the WNBA.
“Susan and I are excited about the growth opportunity in women’s sports and specifically the WNBA,” Michael Dell said in a WNBA news release.
The funding will help contribute to the growth of the WNBA brand, including the potential addition of new teams.
“We also are proud to support a league that is committed to empowerment, and we look forward to supporting [WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert] and all the accomplished and diverse women of the WNBA to make a positive impact in the world.”
What's next?
Heard said he "ultimate goal" is to either play overseas or in the WNBA.
But she also takes great pride in her academics.
She graduated from TCU with a major in psychology and is now in grad school at the TCU Master's of Liberal Arts program.
"I do have aspirations off of the court, and after playing I would like to get into counseling, branding and marketing and social media influencing," Heard said.
Heard said that while some players do not know their identity outside of sports, she has been "fortunate enough" to find her passion outside of basketball.
More than an athlete, she is determined to not be defined by the success of her basketball career.
On and off the court, Heard's legacy is cemented at TCU.
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