MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2003 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Walls, Hamilton, Browning, Dearing, Frazier, Gordon, Hyde-Smith, Jackson, Little, Nunnelee, Smith
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING LATOYA THOMAS ON HER STELLAR COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL CAREER AND CONGRATULATING HER UPON BEING SELECTED THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR.
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas, a native of Greenville, Mississippi, and a Senior on the Mississippi State University Lady Bulldogs Basketball Team, has had a collegiate basketball career that can only be characterized as stellar; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas was recently selected by the Associated Press as Player of the Year for the second consecutive year; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas was also named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year by the coaches of the SEC and was the first Lady Bulldog to receive this honor; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas was a unanimous selection to the All-SEC First Team; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas has been named to the Associated Press All-SEC Team all four years of her career; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas is the first athlete to earn both the Associated Press SEC Newcomer of the Year Award and the Associated Press SEC Player of the Year Award in her career; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas led the SEC in scoring for four straight years and in her senior year leads with her highest season average of 25.6 points per game; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas' leadership on the floor and willingness to work on all aspects of the game have placed her in the top ten in many SEC categories, including scoring, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, free-throw percentage, field goal percentage and rebounding; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas, a three-time Kodak All-American, has also been named a Wade Trophy finalist, Naismith Player of the Year finalist, Senior Class Award finalist and a Creamland Dairies Collegiate Basketball Student Athlete of the Year semifinalist; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas' basketball exploits will be the benchmark by which future players will be measured; and
WHEREAS, LaToya Thomas' contributions have brought the women's basketball program of Mississippi State University into national prominence; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Legislature to recognize the athletic excellence and contributions of student athletes such as LaToya Thomas, who has brought well-deserved credit to herself, Mississippi State University and the State of Mississippi and who has brought the MSU women's basketball program into national prominence:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend LaToya Thomas for her stellar basketball career and congratulate her upon her second consecutive Associated Press Player of the Year honor.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to LaToya Thomas and be make available to the Capitol Press Corps.