By: Candice Dixson, Sports Information Staff
GRAMBLING, La. l Former Grambling State point guard,
Shakyla Hill, signed a contract with team ZZK Kraljevo in Serbia to begin her career as a professional basketball player.
After not being drafted in the WNBA, Shakyla had doubts, but Grambling State women's basketball head coach
Freddie Murray had once told his player "While often off your original path you ultimately make it to your desired destination."
Murray's words of advice to Hill were coming to fruition sooner than she had expected in a conversation that was nearing. "I had a friend (Grant) who texted me one day, asking me 'do you need a prayer?' I cracked a joke," Hill said. He then said 'I'm being serious'. I told him to send me up a prayer about getting a bigger contract, and literally the next day my agent called me saying 'you have an offer from a Level 1 team'. We went from there and now we're here."
Hill received national attention when she recorded her second quadruple-double on Feb. 2, a feat never accomplished before in the NCAA Division I era, on against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Hill posted her first quadruple-double in a win over Alabama State on Jan. 3, 2018. The Little Rock, Ark. native's career accolades include 12 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Week awards, SWAC Player of the Year (2019), SWAC Defensive Player of the Year (2019), SWAC Tournament MVP (2018), United States Sports Academy Player of the Month, ESPN The Undefeated HBCU Player of the Year.
Additionally, she tallied 2,073 points (3rd all-time at GSU), 934 rebounds (2nd all-time at GSU), 623 assists, (GSU record holder), 493 steals (GSU and SWAC record holder), 32 double-doubles, and four triple-doubles.
Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.
