From the moment she could walk, Sania Richardson had a basketball in her hands. “I want to say, when I started taking it seriously, probably like six or seven years old,” she recalled. “But I want to say, like when I was walking, I was on my little mini hoop and just shooting. My dad passed me the ball.” That early connection with the game has carried her through a remarkable high school career, one that has taken her from Ada to the Prep Academy and back again for her senior year. Now, as she steps onto the court for the Lady Cougars one last time, she’s ready to leave her mark.
Richardson wears the number 23, not because of Michael Jordan, but because of her family’s legacy. “It’s just the family number,” she explained. “My uncle had it. My great grandpa had it. My dad, yeah. My mom wore it in high school. It’s just a family thing.” That sense of tradition and pride fuels her competitive spirit and leadership on the court.
After spending her junior year at the Prep Academy, Richardson returned to Ada to finish her high school career where it all began. For her, it wasn’t a difficult transition. “It’s really nothing new,” she said. “It’s like coming back home, basically. I know that I’ll be taking over that leader role, and my other two seniors are on the team as well. So, it’s just no pressure, and it’s nothing new.”
To Richardson, leadership is about far more than scoring points. “It’s leading your team with a purpose,” she emphasized. “Intentionally being at practice every day, on time, pushing everybody, not just letting things slide but helping your teammates get better and just teaching them.”
At just 5-foot-5, Richardson is often the smallest player on the court, but she never lets that hold her back. “I’ve always got told I’m too short or I need to be faster or be more in shape or be stronger,” she admitted. “But I use my size for my advantage, not for my disadvantage. I use it for my speed, my quickness, and definitely for my defense as well.”
As she prepares for the next chapter at Southern Methodist University, Richardson embraces the challenges ahead. “I know I might be the shortest point guard, probably in the ACC conference, but I see that as a challenge,” she said. “Going to SMU is going to help me, and my coaching staff there is going to help me get better and get ready for that challenge.”
Through it all, Richardson hopes to be remembered not just for her skills, but for her character. “Everybody always says I have a contagious smile and I’m always positive,” she said. “I just want people to remember that contagious smile and that positive energy that I bring everywhere I go, not just on the basketball court, but off.”
Ada is proud to call her one of their own, and when she walks across the stage in May, she’ll forever be a Cougar.
