EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of a series of profiles created by UMass’ Journalism 332 Sports Writing class.

The boos ring down from the fans in Buffalo’s Alumni Arena. Alone at the free throw line, UMass women’s basketball’s Lilly Ferguson prepares to shoot with the entire arena trying to knock her focus.

Ferguson is at the line because she did what she does best — she took a charge.

The effort plays, the ones that don’t get the headlines, define Ferguson’s play.

“My role is to do all the quote-unquote hard things, rebound, hustle, take charges,” Ferguson said. “And honestly, just lead by example in any way I could. I like the effort plays.”

This is exactly why Ferguson is one of the Minutewomen’s leaders. Her impact isn’t built on points or recognition, but on the plays that demand toughness, sacrifice and consistency. It’s in those moments, when the game needs effort more than flair, that Ferguson stands out.

Ferguson loves to be loud on the court, but when she was a kid, she was really shy, kept to herself and didn’t really talk to the other kids in her class. In school, she found a book about American Sign Language and began to teach it to herself.

“She picked up that book and didn’t finish until she learned, you know,” said Ferguson’s mom, Stacy Rios. “That’s just a part of who she is; once she starts something, she does not stop until she finishes it.”

When she came to UMass, Ferguson was a two-time Gametime Connecticut All-State and CHSCA All-State selection and a 1,000-point scorer in high school.

Going from the focal point of your high school team to playing just 12 total minutes in your freshman year of college can be demoralizing, but it wasn’t for Ferguson. She changed her style of play to something new, the type of player to dive for every ball, not be afraid of contact and work as hard as she can at every little thing.

“It taught me to work, taught me to work my ass up again, because that’s how you shine,” Ferguson said.

“And sometimes it’s things that people don’t want to do. Do the things that people don’t want to do, do the things that people don’t really see as values, but there are certain values. And every year that translated into the role that I have now.”

That approach, over her four years at UMass, put her in a position where other players began to look up to her. Last season, in her role as the first player off the bench, she found that the energy she brought to the sideline and the court helped her teammates play harder.

This summer, the sport management major landed an internship that limited her ability to attend summer practices going into her final year. Despite the missed time, Ferguson built connections with the newcomers and continued making an impact on the players who already knew her. When voting for the team’s captains came around, Ferguson was an easy choice, and she became one of the team’s three captains.

“For me, a captain is about setting an example. Being the loudest on the court. Working the hardest on the court,” Ferguson said. “And I feel like those are all three things that are in my control and that I do, and I try to do, I try to be the best that I can every day, and I think people can follow that example.”

A characteristic of being a great leader in sports is doing what is required of you without being asked, and Ferguson does that in spades.

UMass coach Mike Lefler never had the conversation with his captain, asking her to work as hard as she can for every offensive rebound. It’s just who she is.

This season, UMass women’s basketball is off to an 8-2 start, and Ferguson has made her impact in her ways. She sits fourth in the team in rebounds, and the more important stat is her steals-to-turnover ratio. Ferguson has the fewest turnovers on the team and is tied for second in steals.

The numbers help show Ferguson’s value, but they don’t fully capture it. Her real impact is felt in the energy she brings every night. Those plays don’t show up in the stat sheet, but they win games, and they define a captain whose leadership continues to drive the Minutewoman forward.

Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.