Virginia Tech’s Aisha Sheppard talks about Cassell without fans, what’s special about Kenny Brooks, her second cousin George Floyd and why LeBron’s the GOAT.
At the top of the Christmas list:
Airpods Pro
Playing basketball without fans:
I had expected this year to be probably one of our best for us fan-wise and getting people in the stands. So in Virginia, when the head count went from 1000 to 250, it hurt, not in the sense of how we’re playing, but just in the sense of support. We were all looking forward to that aspect of it. Especially me, just because my freshman year, we didn’t have that many supporters, and each year it just continues to grow. But we do know that we still have a lot of supporters who are watching us online. So that’s fun, but it’s been weird. We’ll just continue to fight through it, like we’ve gone through everything else. But we definitely are missing our fans right now.
The COVID effect:
I’ve had a lot more time to focus on what’s important to me outside of basketball. And I had a lot of time to just focus on myself, especially when we had to quarantine and things were changing throughout the state. I just had a lot more time to really understand what is important and what I need to focus on for myself, mentally, physically, emotionally. I felt like I was in tune and in a better place with myself. I thought that was very important, especially going into the season. Once we found out what date we would be able to start, I think it helped me tremendously as a leader and as a person on and off the court.
From her self reflections, she learned . . .
I’m just not taking things for granted. As an athlete, we get free meals all the time, we get stipends, we get per diem. You don’t really think about the fact that you’re being well taken care of regardless of what’s happening around you. During this pandemic, I saw that a lot of people didn’t have that. People are losing their jobs. They’re losing their homes. And I had a place where I could stay; I was still getting money. Not everyone has those opportunities.
What it’s like getting tested all the time
It’s a lot of having to get up at different times to get tested all the time. And having to work that into your regular schedule. It’s really difficult, but you get used to it; it’s just uncomfortable. Honestly, the word that I’ve used throughout all of it with everything changing is uncomfortable. Being an athlete, you’re a creature of habit. So having to do all these different things all the time is uncomfortable, but we just go with the flow like we always have.
On missing out
I miss being able to go to our teammates’ houses or just go to the movies. Because there’s not a lot to do here anyway, right? We used to go to the movie theater a lot as a team. That’s stuff we aren’t able to do right now. Now we go to the gym with each other and then we just go to our separate houses. So definitely, the fact that we can’t hang out with each other is something I miss.
Last good movie she saw:
“The Secret Life of Pets 2”
What she learned from her summer internship at ACC Network
I learned a lot actually. I made a lot of highlight clips and things like from the men’s ACC tournament. I sat in on a lot of staff meetings to hear what kind of changes they were going through with COVID. I got to actually go into the studio to do technical director kind of stuff. And it was one-on-one with me and another producer. So I got to actually do a lot of hands-on stuff.
She’s appreciative of Coach Kenny Brooks for many reasons, including the focus he’s given to working on her weaknesses. How she’s put that into play this season. (Sheppard averages 18.3 ppg and shoots .436 from 3).
I’m definitely being more aware of when I’m open and not only when I’m open, but when I need to be able to get my shot off, and how quickly I need to be able to get my shot off. I knew, especially after last season, there’s obviously going to be a lot more attention on me. So when I do get those opportunities, I have to be able to capitalize on them very quickly.
I’ve seen @____blessed2 do many incredible things in her career and not much surprises me anymore,but today I saw her do something that blew me away. At the end of her workout I watched her make 70 out of 75 three pointers! 😳 She’s not a shooter…she’s a MAKER! pic.twitter.com/whGYM89yBB
— Kenny Brooks (@CoachBrooksVT) October 8, 2020
On shooting 70 of 75 from the three-point line in a practice:
I don’t like to miss. Coach gets on me about that a lot. He said, ‘You know you just hit 70 out of 75?’ I’m like, ‘Coach, I shouldn’t have missed at all.’ “
Her pride in being Kenny Brooks’ first recruit at Virginia Tech:
The first time Coach saw me was when I played in the Best of Maryland tournament. I’m in high school, it’s probably like, my sophomore year or something like that. And he’s actually there to check out my teammate, Niyah (Beverley), who’s at Penn State right now. When he saw me, he was like, ‘Who is this little skinny kid with the braids?’
When he got the job at Tech, he immediately called and wanted me to come on a visit. From there, we built a really, really great relationship. I went on some other visits, but I knew for sure that I wanted to come to Tech just because of the conversation that we had about building the culture and changing things. I wanted me to be a part of that process. That’s something I’ve always been about — just trust in the process of wanting to go through things. That’s how I was taught. That’s how I grew up. And now, you know, Coach and I are both just reaping the benefits of things that we started when I first got here. So it’s just been an amazing opportunity. And I’m thankful for Coach for believing in me that early and helping me stay the course.
On LeBron’s two-year, $85-million contract that he just signed with the Lakers:
I’m stoked
On why LeBron’s the GOAT
Honestly, I think it’s his vision. He’s always had a incredible IQ — seeing everything one step ahead. Not saying Michael Jordan didn’t do that. But getting his teammates involved, I think is definitely one of LeBron’s greatest strengths. Because, honestly, him being who he is, he doesn’t have to.
On her mother’s cousin, George Floyd.
It just happened to be that my mom’s last name is Sheppard. But her last name would have been Floyd if she was named after her father. So (Floyd’s death) actually did hit home. It was extremely hard for us, especially for my mom. So it was just one of those things where you read about it — and like Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner — it hits home because you’re African American. And it scares you in a sense. I have two older brothers who are always being racially profiled wherever they go. It’s just always something that has stuck with me. After that whole situation with George, it really changed my whole perspective.
On how she would like things to change:
The biggest thing I would like to see happen is for our elected officials to hear what other people have to say, and not only hear it, but to listen intently to what we’re saying. And then figure out why there’s such a big gap between certain ethnicities and others when it comes to things like poverty and social injustice. I just want them to understand where we’re coming from, and that we’re not devaluing any other lives. We’re just saying that ours at the moment aren’t as valued as other people’s.
Photos of Sheppard courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics