National Girls & Women in Sports Day: The Tara Cousins Story
2/2/2022
If we could use a phrase that best describes Tara Cousins, it would be “Jackie of ALL TRADES”. Tara is more than what meets the eye and she wants to make a lasting difference in the world… let's take a deep dive into the Tara Cousins story…
The Journey…
Tara hails from Washington, D.C. where she is the daughter of Joelle Gore and Christopher Cousins. Her mother is a Division Chief for NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) and her father is a physical therapist. And guess what Tara's major is at Delaware: Biological Science. It safe to say that there is a passion for science in this family.
Tara has a passion for two sports, soccer and basketball. For six years she was the only girl playing in the travel boys soccer league. Eventually, she had to choose one and basketball won her heart. Tara played at Woodrow Wilson High School as a junior, where she averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and during her senior year she helped lead New Hope Academy to a 23-8 record under head coach Sam Caldwell. Tara took home DCIAA Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference and First Team All-State honors in 2019, enough to catch the attention of head coach Natasha Adair. But, it just wasn’t her style of play coach Adair took a keen linking to, but her personality fitting right into the Delaware Basketball system.
Making An Impact…
Enter March of 2020, when the world stopped and we were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic and civil unrest rose, it forced us to reshape our focus on what is important. This lit a fire under Tara as she was entering her first year at Delaware during the height of civil unrest the entire summer of 2020. A cause that is near and dear to her heart, Tara expressed that she was comfortable speaking up and presenting on leadership boards. This encouraged her to apply to be a general member of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) but Delaware personnel took notice quickly to Tara's true potential. Tara was asked to take on a bigger role with the thought that she “wasn’t afraid to say things and bring things up" that provides a safe space to have uncomfortable conversations which ultimately landed her the role of SAAC’s Vice President.
The Scholar with the Audacious Plans…
Working towards her undergraduate degree in Biological Science, Tara's career aspirations include becoming a surgeon. The desire to understand why things are happening and digging deeper to find solutions coupled with building relationships, Tara looks to want to have an impact in the health care industry, especially for disadvantage people.
In an ideal world, Tara wants it all and truly believes that she can have it all. First, she would want to pursue a professional basketball career. But, she also she wants to get into medical school and start the pursuit of becoming a surgeon. The motivation – the spring of 2020, Dallas Wings Center Imani McGee-Stafford announced that she was stepping away for the next two WNBA seasons to pursue her law degree. If Imani could do it, why not Tara?
Cue up the 2021-22 Season
After missing the entirety of her rookie season due to an injury, Tara was ready to shine in her collegiate debut this year. The 5-8 guard poured in 15 points off the bench in the season opener against Chestnut Hill (Nov. 9). Then, as a welcome back home party for the Blue Hens against Hofstra (Jan. 14), Tara exploded with a career-best 17 points, highlighted by five triples. A night that couldn’t be exciting enough that Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services Chrissy Rawak had to get in on it!
A Message for Girls & Women in Sports…
On and off the court, Tara has made it known that she’s here to make an impact by leading by example. On a day like today, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Tara wants to inspire young girls and women, especially ones that look like her – a Black LGBTQ woman – that they can have BIG dreams that they can achieve all while working towards living in a better world.
No matter how cliché it sounds to not let anyone put you in a box of who you are, what you can do and where you can go with that, remember this:Tara Cousins
At first, I was a soccer player, then a basketball player and then people would always tell me you have to choose one. I eventually did but I also went further in soccer than anybody ever told me that I could. Now, I am thinking about going to medical school or playing professional basketball - and everyone is always like “well how is that going to work out”. I never have a direct answer for them but I always say “I am going to figure it out”. Don't let anybody put you in a box and I think from there, if you just believe in yourself, you will be able to achieve whatever you want in any aspect of your life. Believe me, sports will help take you to those other places too.
