ASHLAND – For some sisters, working together as player and coach on a basketball team would be difficult. Sibling rivalry or other issues off the court could stand in the way of success on the court. But for Andi Daugherty and Kari (Daugherty) Pickens, the situation has proven to be a positive one that has benefitted the whole Ashland University women’s basketball team.
As the team prepares for its Division II Elite Eight game Tuesday against West Texas A & M, assistant coach Pickens has a unique perspective she can share with her younger sister.
Pickens is in her fourth season as an assistant coach following two stellar years as a member of the Eagles from 2011-2013 after transferring from the University of Dayton. During her memorable stint in Ashland, she left her mark on the school’s scoring and rebounding record lists and led the team to a national title in 2012-2013 after a national runner-up finish the previous campaign.
Following a standout high school career at River View that earned her All-Ohio honors, Andi followed her older sister to Ashland University.
“When looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to stay within an hour and a half of my hometown, so there’s a limited amount,” Daugherty said. “Obviously, Kari playing here played a factor. I was comfortable with the university, the campus and the coaching staff at the time. When I found at there was a possibility of Kari coaching, it was a no-brainer for me. An opportunity to play for a sibling or a family member was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Andi said she wasn’t intimidated by the legacy her sister had left in Ashland, because she was used to following in both of her older sisters’ footsteps.
“I’ve had to follow that for both of my older sisters, Kari, and then my oldest, Kristen, through high school so that was something I kind of worked out in those years. And it wasn’t too bad for me here at Ashland. People were very respectful of keeping us as two different people. It’s been a great experience so far,” Andi said.
Pickens is glad to have the opportunity to coach her sister and stay in touch with her sister.
“I love it. I think it’s really fun. Just the fact that I get to see her every day. Not many siblings get to say that when their sister goes to college,” Pickens said.
This isn’t the first time the two have been in a similar situation. The pair had already spent 5 years in a player-coach relationship during Andi’s days playing AAU ball.
“I love having her on the team. It is different sometimes having to coach her. But this is our 8th year doing this. I coached her five years in AAU as well so I think eight years in, we have a pretty good grasp on how our relationship works and knowing that whenever we step off the basketball court, if I had to get on her, I had to get on her because I was her coach. Not because I love her any less as a sister. I think we have that dynamic down and I absolutely love that she picked Ashland,” Pickens said.
Since picking Ashland, Andi has joined her sister in making a big mark on the AU record books.
Kari scored points 1,414 (currently 7th all-time) and grabbed 903 rebounds (currently 3rd all-time) and led the Eagles to a national title in the 2012-2013 season.
This season, Andi is averaging 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent from 3-point range and 79.8 percent from the foul line. She recently moved past her sister into 6th place on AU’s all-time scoring list.
Their success on the court should come as no surprise. Their dad, Bill, played basketball at Wilmington College from 1982-1986, and mom Caroline played hoops for Ohio University from 1982-1986. Both are members of their school’s hall of fame. And Kari and Andi’s older sister, Kristin, is one of the leading scorers all time for the University of Dayton.
Ashland coach Robyn Fralick, who served as assistant coach for AU during Pickens’ time in Ashland, had high praise for both sisters.
“Kari and Andi are both tough, smart and hard workers. Those 3 things they clearly have in common,” Fralick said. “They also both bring a calming presence and maturity to the teams they have played on.
“They’re both winners, and I think they do a great job of being sisters but also being coach and player. You can see both and I’m thankful they’re both here.”
Pickens sees a lot of similarities between the 2012-2013 national championship team and the current Eagles, with one key difference.
“The year we won the national championship, our team was very veteran laden. We had just one freshman on the team. Pretty much everyone had played significant minutes the year before when we were national runner-up. So I feel like everyone wanted to know when we were doing what, why we were doing it, everything,” Pickens said. “This year has a good mix of a lot of veterans but also a lot of youthful energy that keeps things kind of fresh and new and really fun. So I think they are very different types of teams in that regard.
“But one similarity is that they want to win. We had a lot of winners the year we won the national championship and this year we have a lot of pure basketball winners on this team as well. So I think that’s a key component to both teams.”
Although the pair are close, Pickens hadn’t given her kid sister any advice about playing in the Elite Eight until this interview gave her the opportunity.
“Well since you asked, I’d tell her to keep playing the way she does. She’s been playing very confidently, very poised. That’s the Andi that we need in the Elite Eight tournament,” Pickens said.
As a high-schooler, Andi was influenced by getting to watch her older sister on a national stage during the two AU national title games.
“I was able to make two trips to San Antonio to watch her,” Andi said. “The competition is better and the atmosphere is brighter and louder and I’m just excited to be able to play on that stage.”
That experience has Andi excited to make her own trip to the Elite Eight.
“It’s just excitement and joy. There’s eight teams left playing in all of Division II. It’s a blessing and an opportunity to be able to play on this stage. So I’m just excited to take it one step at a time and hopefully keep winning,” Andi said.
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