Amira Atwater, the junior point guard from Madison, Georgia, continues to deliver when she steps on the court. This being her third season with Georgia Southern Women’s basketball has allowed her to grow and reach new heights.

In the 2017-2018 season, Atwater was ranked third in the Sun Belt in assists per game and sixth in assist/turnover ratio. She made GS history with 125 assists in a single season and she continuously broke past ten assists per game last season.

“At first I think we were just being kind of content,” Atwater said. “But, I think that after this last game that we just won, we saw what it took to get the victory, so I think now we know what it takes and we’re just going to keep building off of that.”

Atwater spoke about how it has felt to not have the best season, but how GS has handled the pressure. There is a mindset of pushing and moving forward through every game and Atwater has helped put that in place by leading by example.

Atwater has had obvious success, because she is not a complacent athlete by any means.

“I think I’ve improved off the court, so like opening up more,” Atwater said. “I’m not a very vocal person and I’m still not the best vocal person, but I am more outgoing and I speak up more.”

Atwater knows that her mindset off the court is just as important as when the game clock is ticking. She has continued to become more vocal and outgoing and that has brought a light to the team and drawn that out of others. Her ability to communicate and grow with her team helps them to play better together.

“My greatest strength would be leading by example,” Atwater said. “When I step up, I feel like my teams feels like we can go to the next level.”

This mentality, and knowing that she has to do her own part, has lead Atwater to her success.

While she does not carry the full load of the team, each member is important in executing plays to the fullest potential and having a victorious mindset in order to perform well together.

When asked about what GS has to continue doing in order to win, Atwater responded saying that “playing together” and “having confidence” is what is going to make everything fall into place in order for success.

This season Atwater has had 99 assists, 61 turnovers and with seven assists in the game Saturday against the Georgia State Panthers, she is now the first GS women’s basketball player to make over 100 assists in back-to-back seasons since Gwenda Smith in 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Although Atwater does not plan on playing professional sports after college, she cannot wait to finish out strong here at GS. Her plan is to graduate with her degree in recreational therapy and pursue her career.

Bethany-Grace Bowers, The George-Anne Assistant Sports Editor, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu