Alexis Mason, second on the ACU women’s basketball team in points and assists, is making a big impression on coaches and teammates.
With the rise of a young, talented freshmen class, people already know the names of Suzzy and Lizzy Dimba, Sydney Shelstead and others. But Mason has proven herself to be one of the cornerstones of a positive future for ACU women’s basketball. Already, Mason has started every game and leads the team in three-point and free throw percentage.
“I definitely expected Alexis to make an immediate impact on our program as a freshman,” head coach Julie Goodenough said.
Long before Mason was a college standout, she was a little girl in the backyard with her dad. At the age of four in Milwaukee, Wisc., Mason fell in love with basketball while shooting on an outdoor goal with her father.
“I just loved to be out there with him and shoot,” Mason said.
It was not until the unexpected passing of her grandmother that Mason made her way to Texas.
“After she passed my family just needed a change,” Mason said. “We had visited Texas before and liked it down here.”
Their family settled in McKinney where Mason excelled in basketball and cross-country. Still, it was evident after her sophomore year that basketball was her sport.
The list of Mason’s high school accolades is as long as the three-pointers she routinely hits for the Wildcats. She was named District New Comer of the Year her freshman season and earned All-District her sophomore and junior seasons. Her senior season took the cake, achieving All-Region, All-State and the district’s most valuable player. However, it was her freshman season that left her with her favorite basketball memory.
“Playing with my sister freshman year was easily the best,” Mason said. “We lost the round right before state.”
It did not take long for her to add to her list of memorable moments once she got to ACU, as the Wildcats upset Texas Tech over Christmas break.
Since then, Mason has continued to get better and better. She is shooting a higher percentage and is looking for her shot aside from beyond the arc.
Her role as point guard has increased, but it is at shooting guard where she feels most comfortable. Her versatility and playmaking ability replicates that of New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony, who is her favorite player and the inspiration behind her number 15.
“She has a textbook perimeter shot,” Goodenough said. “But she is also elusive with the ball and is able to create scoring opportunities for herself.”
Equally impressive as her shot is Mason’s ability to continue shooting even when she is not hitting them.
This, coupled with her size and ball handling, has endeared her to the ‘Cats. She quietly leads a class of promising freshman on a team with nothing but growth and success ahead.
With three full seasons in front of her and a host of talent around her, the accolades may have only just begun for Alexis Mason.
