Can Shannon McCoy keep up the level of high production on the court?

By Wayne Dawes | Published February 13, 2023

The Kean women’s basketball team has found their rhythm in 2023. With two games to go in the regular season, Cougars (14-9) have won 8 of their last 9 games. While the team is playing remarkably, one player in particular, fifth-year senior guard Shannon McCoy, has been playing at a high level.

McCoy, who is working towards her second degree in art education, has been playing lights out for the Cougars. On Jan.18 McCoy scored 41 points against William Patterson University and followed up that performance with 27 points in a victory against Rutgers-Newark. 

“My motivation is the fact that I’m starting to realize my career is coming to an end,” McCoy said. “Every time I step out onto the court, I want to be able to say that I gave it my all with no regrets.”

For the week of Jan. 22, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association voted McCoy as D-3 women’s basketball player of the week. McCoy was excited to receive such a big reward.

“I was shocked,” McCoy said. “I was sitting in my class when my coach texted me the article and my jaw dropped. I was holding in so much excitement. Being recognized on the national level is pretty cool and was definitely a moment to be proud of myself and see all the hard work paying off.”

McCoy ensures that she shares her experience on the court with the younger players so that they know what to expect when the season is upon them.

“It’s going to be hard,” McCoy said. “Playing basketball on the collegiate level is challenging. We really don’t have your traditional ‘off-season’ like fall and spring sports do. Our season is much longer with preseason, regular season, and postseason lasting basically the whole school year.”

Even with the long season, McCoy says embraces the positives, “because it goes by really fast.” Adding that she does not take basketball for granted even when there are obstacles and challenges during the season.

“I’ve made so many amazing memories and friendships with my teammates while also experiencing so many mental blocks with my sport and being physically and emotionally drained,” McCoy said. 

With their win over The College of New Jersey on Feb.1 McCoy has one major goal- to “leave everything on the court.”

“It’s getting closer and closer to the day that I’ll only have one more game to put my uniform on and play the game that I fell in love with 15 years ago,” McCoy said. “I want to end my career with no regrets and enjoy every single moment with my teammates and coaches because I’ll never have this experience again.” 

Head Coach Mandy King, in her eleventh season as head coach, gave high praise for McCoy when it comes to her production on the court and how she is off of the court. With McCoy receiving the award, Coach King states that Shannon is a once-in-a-lifetime player and that she gives her best every time she steps out on the floor.

“Shannon is a once-in-a-lifetime player and an incredible young woman,” King said. “She shows up every day to give her best to the game and her teammates. We are so excited that she is being recognized as one of the best players in the country. Her character, work ethic, and competitiveness are unmatched. She plays the game the right way and with a joy that brings out the best in all of us every single day.” 

Throughout the season and offseason Coach King reminds her players that basketball is what they do, but family is who they are. Her motto #OurFamilyVsTheirTeam allows her players to build a sisterhood.

“We emphasize that who they are as a person is more important than what they do as a player,” King said. “We try to remind them that basketball is what we do but family is who we are. We want to live our motto of #OurFamilyVsTheirTeam every day by focusing on setting and chasing high standards and trusting and lasting relationships. We are focused on creating an environment where everyone can be their best and build a sisterhood we can lean on for life.”

When it comes to leadership and upholding the team’s values, every player on the roster is expected to be a leader and be the best version of themselves.

“We expect all of our players to be leaders and uphold our values of family, integrity, gratitude, hard work, and toughness,” King said. 

As the regular season approaches its end and the postseason begins, Coach King’s goal is for the team to continue improving and for each player to have each other’s back and build long-lasting relationships. 

“Our focus down the stretch is to constantly seek improvement, stay locked in the moment, have each other’s backs, and continue to build strong relationships and trust so that we can play our best when it matters the most,” King said. “And remind each other that we get to play a game we love with the people we love and it doesn’t get any better than this.”

---