文章基本信息

标题：STANDING TALL
作者：Burns, Tony
期刊名称：Women's Basketball
印刷版ISSN：1524-9204
出版年度：2004
卷号：Feb 2004
出版社：Goldman Group

STANDING TALL

Burns, Tony

Go ahead, ask Temeka Johnson about her height. It's okay. Everyone else does.

"I don't get tired of answering those questions," said LSU's senior point guard. "I get tired of having to prove to people I'm actually 5'3''. They'll ask me how tall I am, and when I tell them, they don't believe me. They think I'm shorter. It's like, don't ask if you're not going to believe me anyway."

She has gotten used to answering size questions both on and off the court.

"There's nothing I can do about my height," she said. "I have to live with it and play with what I have."

Johnson, 21, says her size is actually an advantage. Most opponents aren't used to playing someone her size.

"Playing people your size or a little shorter, I understand how taller players feel," she said. "I remember playing the little guard from Ole Miss (Carletta Brown). I was like, Good Lord, I understand why people hate playing against me. I really had to get low."

Despite her size, there's no shortage of talent in the Kenner, La., native. Johnson enters the season as a Wade Trophy candidate after leading the Lady Tigers to a 30-4 record last season. Johnson was third in the Southeastern Conference with 5.8 assists per game and was second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.9 to 2.3).

Johnson, who averaged 10 points per game and shot 50.6 percent from the field, earned a spot on the U.S. team that won a gold medal last summer at the 2003 FIBA World Championships for Young Women in Croatia.

"I enjoyed playing with that group of people," said Johnson. "I learned a lot of things about myself outside of basketball. It taught me to appreciate all of the things we have here."

The criminal justice major is looking forward to her senior season and beyond.

"I really don't know where God will take me. I feel the sky is the limit, even if it's not in basketball," she said.

- Tony Burns