University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
Introducing... Justice Ross
7/16/2019 12:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Minnesota women's basketball team welcomes seven newcomers to the team for the 2019-20 season. GopherSports.com will sit down with each of them to get to know them better as they prepare for their first season in the Maroon and Gold.
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Up next, it's Justice Ross, a 6'0 forward from Des Moines, Iowa, who was a three-star recruit and the 33rd-ranked wing in the class, according to ESPN. A two-time first-team all-conference honoree, she posted 15.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in her senior season.
GopherSports.com: Going through your recruiting process, how did you decide Minnesota was the school for you?
Justice Ross: "I remember Coach Carly (Thibault-DuDonis) called me first and said they were interested; they had seen me play in an AAU tournament, I believe. I think I then got invited to a practice, so I came up here and really liked it. I really liked the staff and loved the way they coached. I really liked the players, too; they made you feel welcomed. It became official when I took my official visit. I knew I loved it here; they're like a family. I loved the area, too; I love Minneapolis. So that's what really drew me here. I just loved the team."
GS: You and fellow freshman Grace Cumming are both from Des Moines. Did you two know each other growing up?
JR: "We've been playing together since the fourth grade, so we've known each other for a while. I was looking at a few other places when she was getting recruited here, but I hadn't been recruited by Minnesota at that point. I came up here on a visit with her and she was really pushing it, of course, since we had been best friends since we were young. It's really cool to have her here."
GS: Did you ever think you two would end up playing college ball together?
JR: "Absolutely not. I never thought we'd end up together. I'm happy we did, but it has surprised me."
GS: Did the fact that she was coming here sway you at all to come here too?
JR: "Honestly, not really. I loved it here, regardless, but it does help that she's here and she's my roommate."
GS: How has it been going so far here at Minnesota?
JR: "It's definitely tough, but it's worth it. It's hard work, and it's a different pace at this level, but it's worth it. It's a family, and they made me feel welcomed right away. At first I was homesick, but I'm actually not even as homesick as I thought I would be."
GS: What's helped you not be homesick anymore?
JR: "The coaches and my teammates. They really help a lot, because if I didn't have them I'd be homesick. It's really like a family and I think that's helped."
GS: Have any of the upperclassmen been like a mentor to you?
JR: "Yeah, a lot of them have helped me. Since I'm a guard, a lot of the guards have helped more, so I'd say that Jasmine (Brunson) is a really good leader. Destiny (Pitts) and Gadiva (Hubbard), too. Everyone has been helpful but those three have definitely helped a lot."
GS: What's it been like to have Lindsay Whalen as your head coach?
JR: "It's super cool because knowing someone has been through all this, you really listen even more. She explains stuff really well."
GS: How would you describe yourself as a player?
JR: "I would say I'm a team player. I'm humble, I'm versatile and I'm a competitor."
GS: Is there any significance to your jersey number?
JR: "My number in high school was No. 20, but Kehinde (Bello) has it here so I changed it to No. 24. But I like that number also because my favorite player ever is Kobe Bryant."
Off the Court with Justice
Favorite Food: Steak (well done)
Favorite Movie: Love and Basketball
Favorite TV Show: All-American
Favorite Musician: Chris Brown
Favorite Player: Kobe Bryant, he's the hardest worker and I love his Mamba Mentality
Favorite Moment of Career: Getting an offer from Minnesota
Hidden Talent: I can beatbox
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Up next, it's Justice Ross, a 6'0 forward from Des Moines, Iowa, who was a three-star recruit and the 33rd-ranked wing in the class, according to ESPN. A two-time first-team all-conference honoree, she posted 15.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in her senior season.
GopherSports.com: Going through your recruiting process, how did you decide Minnesota was the school for you?
Justice Ross: "I remember Coach Carly (Thibault-DuDonis) called me first and said they were interested; they had seen me play in an AAU tournament, I believe. I think I then got invited to a practice, so I came up here and really liked it. I really liked the staff and loved the way they coached. I really liked the players, too; they made you feel welcomed. It became official when I took my official visit. I knew I loved it here; they're like a family. I loved the area, too; I love Minneapolis. So that's what really drew me here. I just loved the team."
GS: You and fellow freshman Grace Cumming are both from Des Moines. Did you two know each other growing up?
JR: "We've been playing together since the fourth grade, so we've known each other for a while. I was looking at a few other places when she was getting recruited here, but I hadn't been recruited by Minnesota at that point. I came up here on a visit with her and she was really pushing it, of course, since we had been best friends since we were young. It's really cool to have her here."
GS: Did you ever think you two would end up playing college ball together?
JR: "Absolutely not. I never thought we'd end up together. I'm happy we did, but it has surprised me."
GS: Did the fact that she was coming here sway you at all to come here too?
JR: "Honestly, not really. I loved it here, regardless, but it does help that she's here and she's my roommate."
GS: How has it been going so far here at Minnesota?
JR: "It's definitely tough, but it's worth it. It's hard work, and it's a different pace at this level, but it's worth it. It's a family, and they made me feel welcomed right away. At first I was homesick, but I'm actually not even as homesick as I thought I would be."
GS: What's helped you not be homesick anymore?
JR: "The coaches and my teammates. They really help a lot, because if I didn't have them I'd be homesick. It's really like a family and I think that's helped."
GS: Have any of the upperclassmen been like a mentor to you?
JR: "Yeah, a lot of them have helped me. Since I'm a guard, a lot of the guards have helped more, so I'd say that Jasmine (Brunson) is a really good leader. Destiny (Pitts) and Gadiva (Hubbard), too. Everyone has been helpful but those three have definitely helped a lot."
GS: What's it been like to have Lindsay Whalen as your head coach?
JR: "It's super cool because knowing someone has been through all this, you really listen even more. She explains stuff really well."
GS: How would you describe yourself as a player?
JR: "I would say I'm a team player. I'm humble, I'm versatile and I'm a competitor."
GS: Is there any significance to your jersey number?
JR: "My number in high school was No. 20, but Kehinde (Bello) has it here so I changed it to No. 24. But I like that number also because my favorite player ever is Kobe Bryant."
Off the Court with Justice
Favorite Food: Steak (well done)
Favorite Movie: Love and Basketball
Favorite TV Show: All-American
Favorite Musician: Chris Brown
Favorite Player: Kobe Bryant, he's the hardest worker and I love his Mamba Mentality
Favorite Moment of Career: Getting an offer from Minnesota
Hidden Talent: I can beatbox
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