By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CENTRE – Cherokee County High School girls basketball coach Richard Barton said it took a little time convincing 5-foot-11 center Deannia Starr she could become a talented basketball player.
Once he did, Starr became just that – a game changer.
On a guard-heavy team, Starr gave Cherokee County an inside presence it needed over her varsity career. Last season she averaged 8.1 points, seven boards, 2.6 assists, three steals, and 2.2 blocks in helping the Lady Warriors (31-3) reach the Class 4A Northeast Regional final.
Gadsden State Community College women’s coach Eddy Norris is hoping Starr will continue to do much the same for the Lady Cardinals next season. She signed a scholarship with Gadsden State on Thursday morning at the school library.
“I’m excited, but also a little nervous,” Starr said. “My junior year, I never thought I would be able to go past the high school level, but I’m glad God has put this in my life and I’m going to try my hardest to do the best I can.”
Both Barton and Norris owe an assist to Starr’s mother Donnica for helping encourage her daughter to pursue playing basketball. Donnica Starr also played basketball at Gadsden State from 1996-98.
“My mom’s the reason I’m in basketball,” the younger Starr said. “I started playing when I was in kindergarten, and ever since, I’ve just continued playing. She’s my biggest cheerleader. She hasn’t missed one game I have played. She leaves work early just to show up (to games).”
Barton appreciated her support as well as that from the rest of her family.
“A lot of time, effort, and prayer went into getting Deannia to want to do it herself,” Barton said. “She’s a program builder, a game changer for us. She’s started games all four years. She’s very selfless. She’s a fantastic teammate. She’s someone everyone wants to be around, and her family is great as well.
“She has a big support system every game. You’re going to have at least 20 (of her family) there to watch her play. Her family has been a big part of our program the last four years. I’m very, very proud of her. She’s definitely left our program in a better spot than what it was in when we started. We’re definitely going to miss her.”
All of the attributes Starr brings to the table are exactly what Norris was looking for in a player.
“We’re trying to do things at Gadsden State that haven’t been done in a very long time, and we’ve taken great strides toward that goal this year,” Norris said. “One thing about her is her height. This year we had one player who played a lot for us who was 6-1. We had to use her a lot of minutes because the depth at that position was something we needed to build on, which we are. We’re bringing in three players this year who will help us shore that up.
“Deannia is going to bring in size up front. She plays extremely hard. She competes at a really high level. We will work with her skills and help her continue to develop those and enhance them. We’ll get her used to the physical play and the quickness in the league. That’s something she’ll be able to pick up on, maybe in the first couple of months of our preseason.”
Starr hopes to contribute to Gadsden State in any way she can, and she’s already off to a good start by building bonds with her new teammates.
“I’ve already met two of my teammates,” she said. “I played against one of them in North Jackson, and the other one is from Pisgah. I feel like I’ve made some friends already.
“Everyone on my team (at Cherokee County) is like a sister to me, and the reason we were so good is the connections we had outside of basketball. We did stuff as a team, and I feel like I’ll also make those connections outside of basketball at the college level.”
Norris feels Starr will fit right into what he’s trying to create at Gadsden State.
A native of Sand Rock, Norris led the Lady Cardinals to a 15-16 record last season, his first as head coach. Two of his players – Kaitlyn St. Clair (also from Sand Rock) and Kam Gaines – were named All-ACCC first and second team respectively. St. Clair was also recently selected as a National Junior College All-American.
“With young women like Deannia and the 2026 class we’re bringing in, we’re extremely excited about them being able to contribute to the program and take us to an even higher level,” Norris said. “We want the people from Cherokee County to continue supporting her as she closes one chapter in her playing career and begins another. She’s earned that. She’s helped Cherokee County do things they’re very proud of, but they don’t need to forget about her. They need to continue supporting her because it’s going to be a challenge.”
