Tia Presley and her fierce passion for competition

WSU+senior+guard+Tia+Presley+dribbles+toward+the+basket+in+a+game+against+Utah%2C+as+junior+guard+Lia+Galdiera+blocks+for+her%2C+Friday%2C+Jan.+23%2C+2015.+The+Cougars+won+the+game+63-54.

WSU senior guard Tia Presley dribbles toward the basket in a game against Utah, as junior guard Lia Galdiera blocks for her, Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. The Cougars won the game 63-54.

If you examine the personalities of the most successful athletes, their commonality lies in a fierce competitiveness. The byproduct of which is a mentality that would rather physically punish their bodies than take a loss.

Tia Presley is just such a competitor. Whether it is during a women’s basketball game or practice against her own teammates, she hates losing.

Some of her favorite moments happen in enemy territory, on another team’s court, with the crowd’s deafening screams directed toward her.

“Then you finally make a shot, and it goes silent,” Presley said, “I live for that competitive-type stuff. I love to win. I love to be the best.”

The senior guard from Spokane, who started playing when she was in fourth grade, said that she didn’t particularly enjoy playing basketball at first. A few years later, however, when she realized she was better than most of the girls she was playing against, her competitive nature kicked in. Even as a sixth grader, her desire to be the best fueled her passion to play basketball.

At that point, Presley was focused on winning and having fun, and hadn’t put much thought into playing at the college level. That changed when she started playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball around seventh or eighth grade- she saw the attention older girls were getting from college coaches. A few years later, she was the one getting attention, and began noticing coaches in the stands at all of her games.

Once high school started, she knew she would play college ball somewhere. WSU was one of the schools that contacted her when she was still only a sophomore. Assistant Head Coach Brian Holsinger reached out to Presley and they began to build a good relationship. It was the relationship with the coaching staff and with the rest of the girls on the team that sold Presley on coming to WSU.

Holsinger knew he’d found a special player the first time he watched her play. He said that even though her skills were not, as a high school sophomore, fully developed, he could tell she had the desire to win.

“She has this unique level of competitiveness that you don’t find every day,” Holsinger said, “it must be in her DNA.”

Presley has been a significant factor in turning the women’s basketball program around at Washington State. Since the arrival of Head Coach June Daugherty, the team has been more competitive. But the last two years, with Presley leading the charge, the program has had its most successful seasons in recent memory.

Daugherty was recently asked during a press conference about Presley’s impact on the program, which she said was monumental.

“Tia has evolved into not only a fantastic player,” Daugherty said, “but also a fantastic leader for this program.”

Presley has been one of the Pac-12’s most impressive players the past two seasons, and you could argue she has been the team’s MVP over that time span. She finished fifth in the conference last season in scoring, leading the Cougars with an average of 19 points per game. This year, she is third in the Pac-12, behind her fellow guard junior Lia Galdeira.

When it comes to her teammate Galdeira, another prolific scorer who plays the same position, Presley says there has never been pressure to be better than each other.

“If anything we just want to see each other both succeed,” she said, “it’s been a really cool experience hearing the Tia and Lia show.”

As for the rest of her team, Presley said her favorite characteristic about this year’s squad might just be one they picked up from her.

“I just like how competitive we’ve become,” Presley said, “I feel like I’m such a competitor and to see that in everybody is so awesome.”

Her coaches have noticed it as well. She said that instead of calling out Presley and senior center Shalie Dheensaw for their feisty nature, their coaches have been affectionately referring to the two as “competitors.” There being no shortage of praise for Presley, Holsinger takes the cake in linguistics- she is both tenacious and the ultimate competitor.

As for her connection with her fellow senior, Presley said she feels for Dheensaw, who recently suffered a season-ending injury. Their relationship has grown immensely since they were both freshman. Presley said Dheensaw is her go-to girl. Since they both have experienced season ending injuries, she said their bond has become stronger.

Presley lost valuable play time due to injury early on in her WSU career. She broke her foot her freshman year and tore her ACL during the following season. These injuries, she said, have made her not take her time on the court for granted.

“You can’t get into it as much sitting on the bench,” she said “I missed being relied on to take big shots and to score and to play good defense.”

As for goals this season, Presley said making it to the NCAA Tournament is a big accomplishment that the entire team is striving for. After losing in the first round of the Women’s NIT post-season tournament last year, the Cougars are striving for more.

Presley says she hopes to continue playing basketball for as long as possible after graduation. Whether in the WNBA or in another country, she wants to continue with basketball until it is no longer an option.

Wherever she goes after her college career, Presley will be remembered at WSU for her high-scoring games, her effort and her willingness to give her all to her team and her fans.

And as for what the crowd can do to help Presley in return?

“We need more people to come show support. We want to be playing for them,” she said. “The more people we get at the games the more fight it will instill in us.”