The University of Mississippi Athletics
Armintie Herrington Named SEC Legend
1/22/2015 | Women's Basketball
By Austin Miller, OleMissSports.com
OXFORD, Miss. -- One of the all-time greats in Ole Miss women's basketball history, former player Armintie Price Herrington has been elected as the Rebels' representative for the 2015 Southeastern Conference Women's Legends Class.
"It's not about me, it's about Ole Miss and it's about this program," Herrington said. "It's about continuing to have excellence among the Ole Miss, players and coaching staff. It was an amazing time. I'm grateful for this award. I can't wait for the SEC Legend experience, and I hope many more Rebels will be able to experience it."
A two-time captain and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Herrington led the Rebels to the 2007 NCAA Elite Eight and earned All-America honors from Kodak/WBCA and ESPN.com in her senior season.
In her illustrious collegiate career, she joined Cheryl Miller as the only two players in NCAA history to amass 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists and 400 steals.
"My teammates and coaches, when I was here from 2003-07, all these awards are because of them," Herrington said. "They saw something special in me, like I did, but they helped me achieve that faster. I wouldn't have had the career I had without Coach Carol Ross and my fellow classmates Jada Mincy and Ashley Awkward and the rest of my teammates."
"It makes you very proud, not just because what a great talent she was, and certainly that's important, but her character outweighs what she has accomplished, and that's a lot," said former Ole Miss head coach Carol Ross, who coached Price from 2003-07. "She's a great ambassador for Ole Miss, and she's been a phenomenal ambassador for women's basketball at Ole Miss. I'm really proud of her."
During her senior season, Price averaged a team-high 19.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.7 steals per game in leading Ole Miss to the Elite Eight appearance for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 1992. She currently ranks third all-time at Ole Miss in career points (2,165), second in rebounds (1,198) and first in steals (403).
"That season was very special because it was a process," Ross said. "That was a culmination of four years of her putting in work, leading, taking disappointment and turning it into drive. We had three seniors. Armintie led the way, but we also Jada Mincy and Ashley Awkward. They were very determined and they were a very close class. They wanted to leave a legacy and they wanted to do something special on their watch, and as seniors, that's their legacy and that's how they're remembered. She took the program as high as it's ever been."
After her playing career at Ole Miss, Herrington was selected third overall in the 2007 WNBA Draft, the first Ole Miss player selected in the first round in program history. She has earned 2007 Rookie of the Year honors and 2013 All-Defensive First Team honors and has enjoyed an eight-year professional career with the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and most recently the Los Angeles Sparks. She has also played in three WNBA Finals as a member of the Dream.
In addition to her professional playing career, Herrington maintains a close relationship with her alma mater, having served as an assistant coach at Ole Miss for three season (2009-12) and calls games for the Rebels as a radio and television broadcaster. She was also recently a member of the 2014 Ole Miss M-Club Hall of Fame Class.
"I am grateful I have had the opportunity to experience those things," Herrington said. "A lot of people don't get to play in the WNBA and a lot of people don't get to come back to their school and coach, so those are opportunities I am grateful to have. Ole Miss has done so much for me. I can't put into words everything Ole Miss has done for me. It's like a dream come true."
Whether it was during her Ole Miss playing days, or her WNBA playing days, or her other involvement with the Ole Miss women's basketball program, Herrington continues to be an ambassador and a representative of the program, showing the way for current and future Ole Miss players.
"When you tell people around Armintie Herrington and you talk to our players about Armintie Herrington, she's somebody you want to be one day," head coach Matt Insell said. "You want to be a pro and have the life she has had. More than anything, she's a great person. She loves Ole Miss and everything about this program and this university."
Austin Miller is a writer and blogger for OleMissSports.com. He joined the staff in June 2013 after serving as sports editor of the Daily Mississippian. Follow him on Twitter @austinkmiller
