Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Hall of Fame profile: Chrissy Givens
9/18/2017 6:00:00 PM | General, Women's Basketball
Women's hoops standout was one of best
MUFREESBORO, Tenn. – A lot of awards and honors went Chrissy Givens' way because of her brilliant four-year career at Middle Tennessee, and now she can add one more: inclusion in the Blue Raider Hall of Fame.
Givens is one of the most decorated players in MT women's basketball history. Before she started her now 10-year European basketball career, she became one of four All-Americans in program history. She was also the Lady Raiders' first WNBA Draft selection when the Phoenix Mercury took her with the 31st pick in 2007.
It was while Givens was starring on the Murphy Center floor when she really came into her own as a basketball player.
She went into her freshman season as a role player and quickly blossomed, starting all 33 games as a sophomore. As a junior, she earned her first Sun Belt Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, awards she would win again as a senior.
"I was blessed to have ups and downs throughout my career at MT," Givens said. "I am thankful for all, because I grew a lot during those years.
"My time at MTSU has given me the experience to both learn to be a role player and learn to step up when needed. I've played on different teams throughout my career and my roles have had to change many times, but I was well-prepared and versatile enough to fulfill each one."
It's hard to overlook the type of impact Givens had on Middle Tennessee's program on the floor, and equally as tough to measure how much she meant to the growth of the team off it.
Though he was hired before Givens' junior season and only spent two years with her, Head Coach Rick Insell attributed a lot of his personal success and the recent accomplishments of the program to the way Givens and her teammates carried themselves during his first two seasons at the helm.
"I probably wouldn't be here without her," Insell said. "She was the one who kind of set the tone when I first came here.
"Leaving that day [when I first met the team], I'll never forget the feeling that I had. I went back and talked to my wife about the players … and I told her there's one kid in there that has something about her. She's pretty special. I could tell that from the first time I met her."
With Insell's guidance, Givens turned into an all-around, do-everything type of player into a dominant scorer who could do just about everything on the basketball floor.
She finished her four years at MT ranking in the top five of five career categories, including steals (fourth), assists (fourth), field goals made (fifth), scoring (sixth) and free throws made (seventh). She's also 11th in rebounding and is one of just two players in school history to play in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and win games in three of them.
Her ability to contribute in multiple ways has helped Givens become a career player in Spain. She signed with Perfumerias Avenida before the 2016 season and helped them reach the Euroleague Women's quarterfinals, averaging 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Playing in Europe has proposed its own challenges for Givens, not only because she had to adjust to living on a different continent, but also because the style of basketball is different.
"I think European basketball is faster and less physical," she said. "I've always been a run-and-gun player, and it felt like I was made to play European-style basketball. Besides the traveling, which they have finally changed the rules for, I did not need to adjust too much to fit that style of play."
Givens hasn't been back to Murfreesboro since 2014. When she finally makes the long journey from Spain to participate in Saturday's ceremonies, she'll do so knowing it'll feel just like home once she's back again.
She'll also get to watch some football, something she's missed since moving to Europe.
"The most exciting thing will be to see everyone," she said. "Even when I do come, it is always a short visit and I never get to see everyone.
"I will actually get to go to a football game live, and that will also be super exciting. I do not get to watch much football when I'm in Europe."
This is the first in a five-part series showcasing the five Blue Raider Hall of Fame inductees.
Givens is one of the most decorated players in MT women's basketball history. Before she started her now 10-year European basketball career, she became one of four All-Americans in program history. She was also the Lady Raiders' first WNBA Draft selection when the Phoenix Mercury took her with the 31st pick in 2007.
It was while Givens was starring on the Murphy Center floor when she really came into her own as a basketball player.
She went into her freshman season as a role player and quickly blossomed, starting all 33 games as a sophomore. As a junior, she earned her first Sun Belt Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, awards she would win again as a senior.
"I was blessed to have ups and downs throughout my career at MT," Givens said. "I am thankful for all, because I grew a lot during those years.
"My time at MTSU has given me the experience to both learn to be a role player and learn to step up when needed. I've played on different teams throughout my career and my roles have had to change many times, but I was well-prepared and versatile enough to fulfill each one."
It's hard to overlook the type of impact Givens had on Middle Tennessee's program on the floor, and equally as tough to measure how much she meant to the growth of the team off it.
Though he was hired before Givens' junior season and only spent two years with her, Head Coach Rick Insell attributed a lot of his personal success and the recent accomplishments of the program to the way Givens and her teammates carried themselves during his first two seasons at the helm.
"I probably wouldn't be here without her," Insell said. "She was the one who kind of set the tone when I first came here.
"Leaving that day [when I first met the team], I'll never forget the feeling that I had. I went back and talked to my wife about the players … and I told her there's one kid in there that has something about her. She's pretty special. I could tell that from the first time I met her."
With Insell's guidance, Givens turned into an all-around, do-everything type of player into a dominant scorer who could do just about everything on the basketball floor.
She finished her four years at MT ranking in the top five of five career categories, including steals (fourth), assists (fourth), field goals made (fifth), scoring (sixth) and free throws made (seventh). She's also 11th in rebounding and is one of just two players in school history to play in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and win games in three of them.
Her ability to contribute in multiple ways has helped Givens become a career player in Spain. She signed with Perfumerias Avenida before the 2016 season and helped them reach the Euroleague Women's quarterfinals, averaging 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Playing in Europe has proposed its own challenges for Givens, not only because she had to adjust to living on a different continent, but also because the style of basketball is different.
"I think European basketball is faster and less physical," she said. "I've always been a run-and-gun player, and it felt like I was made to play European-style basketball. Besides the traveling, which they have finally changed the rules for, I did not need to adjust too much to fit that style of play."
Givens hasn't been back to Murfreesboro since 2014. When she finally makes the long journey from Spain to participate in Saturday's ceremonies, she'll do so knowing it'll feel just like home once she's back again.
She'll also get to watch some football, something she's missed since moving to Europe.
"The most exciting thing will be to see everyone," she said. "Even when I do come, it is always a short visit and I never get to see everyone.
"I will actually get to go to a football game live, and that will also be super exciting. I do not get to watch much football when I'm in Europe."
This is the first in a five-part series showcasing the five Blue Raider Hall of Fame inductees.
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