CLEVELAND — Senior Ball State women’s basketball guard Ally Becki has been carving up defenses and clamping down opponents for the last four years with Ball State women’s basketball.
This year has been no different. She averaged 13.9 points per game, was named the Mid-American Conference’s (MAC) Player of the Year and helped the Cardinals become MAC regular season champions for the first time in 22 years.
Yet, her impact doesn’t stop on the court. It is all around campus.
“To have her in my sights just makes me so much more proud to be a woman, and to be here at Ball State,” senior Ball State band member Olivia Sloniker said. “To have her be the best at Ball State … She's kicking butt everywhere she goes. It warms my heart.”
Let’s stay with the on-court aspect for a second. Becki is the Cardinal’s all-time leader for assists (707) and is the No. 6 player for all-time points scored (1,638) Let’s just admit it, she’s good. Really damn good.
While I watched her a few times this year and have read about her via coverage from Daily News beat reporters Elijah Poe and Logan Connor — well done this year, gentlemen — watching her play in the Cardinals’ first game of the MAC Tournament reminded me how dominant she is.
Her insane ball handling, no-look passes, lockdown defense … Again, she’s awesome.
But it’s how she carries herself. When I asked Becki about the quote from Sloniker, the Cardinal was honest about being seen as more than just a basketball player.
“That means a lot, especially hearing that from the band. They do an amazing job,” Becki said. “They come out here and they perform as well as we do, and so it's good to have support like that. You guys, too. I saw you walk into the stadium today.
“It's an all-around team effort, and to be able to kind of hear everyone say I kind of made an impact, it means a lot to me, because after this, basketball is almost over for me. So any way I can impact the game, but also the community or anything like that, means a lot to me.”
While Becki’s stardom in the MAC and around Delaware County is noticeable — if you haven’t noticed it or heard anything about her, well, I can’t help you — she’s right about the team aspect. This roster, which is led by five seniors, is what helps make Becki who she is. She’s playing with her friends and has said so multiple times over the last four years.
With her career with Ball Stat winding down, where does she rank as an athlete at the university, let alone a women’s basketball player? To me, she’s one of the best. But as Babe Ruth says in the baseball film “Sandlot,” there are heroes and legends. Heroes are remembered and legends never die.
Ball State Athletics knows her worth to the team, program and community.
“Special athletes come along every so often, and Ally, she has been the epitome of consistency with how she prepares, how she plays, how she leads on the floor and she's cheerful and she also makes you proud the way she carries herself,” Ball State director of athletics Jeff Mitchell said. “When you have those abilities [and act the right way], it makes a huge difference. You make a decision as a fan that you want to go to Worthen Arena and watch Ally Becki and it becomes an easy decision.”
With the state of college athletics, she could have left and tried to find something bigger and better. Yet, she stayed. While I think the guard is indeed both a hero and legend to Ball State women’s basketball and the university as a whole, there is one question that remains.
Will the No. 0 jersey be hung up in the rafters of Worthen Arena with Ball State men’s basketball icons Bonzi Wells and Ray MacCallum?
I think it’s an obvious answer, and to Mitchell, I believe he does too.
“I think she's well on her way,” he said, smiling.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
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