Photo by: Kevin Snyder/MSU Athletics
An Unforgettable Day With LaToya Thomas
November 13, 2022 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – LaToya Thomas isn't one for speeches and that is perfectly okay.
Thomas' accomplishments during her storied basketball career speak for themselves. Four-time Kodak All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, leading the conference in scoring four consecutive seasons, the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft and the all-time leading scorer in Mississippi State history – men or women – are just some of the many accolades she received as a Bulldog from 1999-2003.
Thomas added another award to her resume on Friday night, becoming the first women's basketball player to have her name and number ascended into the rafters of Humphrey Coliseum.
MSU celebrated Thomas' historic career during a weekend full of appearances, banquets and ceremonies in her honor. HailState.com accompanied Thomas throughout her time back at her alma mater.
FRIDAY, NOV. 11
10 a.m. LaToya Thomas arrives at the Holliman Athletic Center with her head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis waiting to greet her. The two embrace but have remained in close contact since Thomas closed out her career with the Bulldogs scoring 2,981 points.
Thomas sits in front of a camera inside a creative suite studio to record an interview for the athletic department and for her upcoming feature on HailState+. It's here that Thomas is shown a video segment that will be played during her ceremony later that evening featuring Fanning-Otis.
"If there's one person in Mississippi State Basketball history that deserves to have their name hang in the rafters of Humphrey Coliseum, it's LaToya Thomas"
— Mississippi State Women's Basketball (@HailStateWBK) November 12, 2022
- Coach Sharon Fanning-Otis#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/Moz9f6oYoY
Thomas tried her best, but hearing her coach's compliments caused her to get a little emotional.
The bond between LaToya and coach Fanning-Otis is real 💕#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/djGZW34hfb
— Mississippi State Women's Basketball (@HailStateWBK) November 11, 2022
10:15 a.m. Thomas with her two kids and Fanning-Otis in tow, go next door to the photography studio for a photoshoot with a framed miniature version of the banner that will forevermore hang in the rafters at the Hump.
10:24 a.m. Thomas and Co. head down the hall to the Dear Ol' State podcast studio. There she walked hosts Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery through her whole career and conveyed how much it means to be immortalized by her alma mater.
You can listen to that podcast episode in its entirety here. It is also available on iTunes and Spotify.
11:40 a.m. It's time to eat and there's a luncheon prepared for 40 of Thomas' family and friends in the Omaha Club at Dudy Noble Field. Upon arrival, a graphic that read "LaToya Thomas Night" with a picture from her playing days is proudly displayed on the videoboard at the Dude.
Thomas points to the videoboard and tells her children "This is why you come to Mississippi State, the love." She then explains to them the tradition of the Left Field Lounge.
1:02 p.m. Thomas walks across the breezeway and into Humphrey Coliseum to watch the women's basketball team shootaround in advance of their afternoon game against North Alabama.
Thomas and her family sit in the stands and watch coach Sam Purcell and his staff walk through some last-minute touches to the game plan against the Lions. At the conclusion of shootaround, Purcell invites Thomas to midcourt to talk to the team.
Thomas' message is short but impactful – "Listen to your coaches and pay attention to the small details and hey, you're going to make it."
1:32 p.m. Thomas is reunited with first-year MSU assistant coach Murriel Page, who like Thomas is a Mississippi native. Thomas and Page were both first-round WNBA picks and were even teammates with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2007.
1:34 p.m. Thomas is given a personal tour of the locker room by Purcell and Page. And wouldn't you know it, prominently featured in the players lounge is Thomas' Minnesota Lynx jersey. Hers is the first of eight jerseys representing Bulldogs that have been drafted by the WNBA in the program's history.
"See what you started?" Purcell said.
3, 2, 1, Family‼️#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/JvzL1B0rVp
— Mississippi State Women's Basketball (@HailStateWBK) November 11, 2022
1:45 p.m. Thomas' family has a chance for their own personal shootaround in the Hump. Her kids, brothers, nephews and cousins are all getting up shots and before long, she can't help but join them for a few buckets in the same arena where she'd already scored so many in leading the Bulldogs to four postseason appearances including three NCAA Tournaments.
1:51 p.m. Thomas takes a few minutes to talk to several current Bulldog players one-on-one, including All-SEC center Jessika Carter. Thomas reminds Carter that the two had previously met the last time she visited Starkville in 2020 and that she'd been closely following her career.
Thomas and Carter exchange phone numbers and Thomas tells her "If you ever need anything, anything at all you call me. Even if it's just to talk."
Thomas also gets a surprise visit from her old bus driver Everett Kinnard, who has a big hug waiting on her before snapping a few photos together.
2:05 p.m. Thomas and her family return to their hotel to start getting ready for an exciting and emotional night ahead.
4:47 p.m. Thomas is back on campus speaking to members of the Bulldog Club upstairs in the Mize Pavilion. Here she is presented a basketball signed by the entire team from director of operations Jimmy Yu.
5:30 p.m. Thomas has a courtside seat for State's game against North Alabama. The entire section behind her has been roped off for nearly 200 friends, family members and former teammates who wanted to be in attendance for the special occasion.
Thomas claps away cheering on the Bulldogs as they begin the game on an 18-0 run.
6:30 p.m. Mississippi State takes a 46-17 lead into the locker room at halftime and it's now time for Thomas' long awaited moment.
Thomas was waiting alone in the tunnel and trotted out to the court where she met Purcell, Fanning-Otis, her two brothers, interim athletic director Bracky Brett, university president Mark Keenum and her old assistant coach Jocelyn McGilberry.
The same video that caused Thomas to tear up earlier in the day was played before a packed Humphrey Coliseum and public address announcer Anthony Craven read aloud her list of accomplishments before her No. 32 was unveiled in the rafters right alongside other Bulldog basketball legends Babe McCarthy, Bailey Howell and Jack Cristil.
Thomas and McGilberry exchanged a long embrace as fans in Humphrey Coliseum rose to give one of their all-time greats another standing ovation.
𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚#HailState🐶 x @Franchise32 pic.twitter.com/DbLfpUm6Ot
— Mississippi State Women's Basketball (@HailStateWBK) November 12, 2022
7:27 p.m. The game ends with MSU improving to 2-0 on the year with a 77-40 win over North Alabama. Fans swarm from the stands to the edge of the court to get their complimentary LaToya Thomas replica commemorative banners autographed.
North Alabama Game Photo Gallery
7:45 p.m. The crowd clears out enough for Thomas' friends and family to join her on the court for a huge group photo. Many of those in her party are wearing custom t-shirts with a collage of photos chronicling her time in Starkville.
7:52 p.m. Thomas is whisked away into the media room inside Humphrey Coliseum for a press conference. It's here that Thomas reveals her No. 32 was given to her by another MSU women's basketball great, Sharon Thompson, who was in attendance on Friday.
"When I first came here, she was nice enough to give it up," Thomas said. "She was the best player in Mississippi State history and she blessed me with the number and I felt so happy that she did."
8:05 p.m. A postgame reception on the Rula-Dampier practice court awaits inside the Mize Pavilion. It's here that Thomas along with her friends and family are treated to a full sit-down catered meal from Taste.
Postgame Reception Photo Gallery
8:29 p.m. With what voice he had left from the game, Purcell got up and said a few words about what Thomas' legacy means to the program he inherited. And after some pandering, he too received a custom LaToya Thomas t-shirt that he said he would've worn during the game if he'd have had it.
When it came time for Fanning-Otis to speak, she talked about how special it was to have so many former players continuing to stay involved with the program.
Thomas' turn with the microphone didn't take long. She simply said, "Thank you. Goodnight."
A good night indeed.
SATURDAY, NOV. 12
6:21 p.m. There's one more appearance Thomas must make before her whirlwind of a weekend is complete. She walks out onto Scott Field inside Davis Wade Stadium alongside Brett, Fanning-Otis and deputy athletics director Ann Carr and rings a custom cowbell that has her name, No. 32 and Nov. 11, 2022 engraved on it to commemorate the date her banner went into the rafters in the Hump.
The video featuring Fanning-Otis is played once more for the sold-out stadium on the two jumbotron. Thomas receives a raucous ovation and she rings that cowbell proudly as Craven reads through her remarkable career.
A fitting end to an unforgettable weekend.
Players Mentioned
F/C
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