EVANSVILLE — Ali Saunders was looking for some stability.
She was a standout multisport athlete at North Harrison High School, reaching the 1,000-point club in basketball and leading soccer to an IHSAA sectional championship in 2019. But she also played for three different basketball coaches as a Cougar. In January 2022, Saunders headed to Valparaiso University after making the “tough decision” to graduate high school early.
After averaging 10.7 points and 2.7 assists per game with Valpo and earning Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman honors, Saunders transferred to the University of Southern Indiana. She was a critical figure in the team winning Ohio Valley Conference titles last winter, averaging 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while earning All-OVC Newcomer honors.
Saunders, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, is setting career highs in points (12.4), rebounds (4.4) and assists (4.0) per game; her 2.6 steals per contest are the third-most in the OVC. She’s scored double digits nine times this winter and is also establishing herself among the Screaming Eagles’ most durable players by starting 32 consecutive games.
As Saunders continues to make an impact, USI remains undefeated in OVC play. The Eagles (10-5) embrace the target on their back following last season’s success and see the target as a sign of respect.
“We either walk out of practice worse or better. There’s no talk of staying the same,” Saunders said. “I think when we put that into focus, it allowed myself and multiple other people as well just to step up. When you have three or four players stepping up at one time, it just raises the whole level of your team.”
Saunders felt the 12 games she played in her senior year at North Harrison helped prepare her “in a way” for the next level. She led the Cougars in points (20.4), assists (4.6) and steals (3.4) per game in her final year; her 4.8 rebounds per contest was the second-best mark on the team.
She used the opportunity of graduating high school early to get the college feel under her belt and a head start on all the other freshmen. Saunders redshirted at Valpo so she wouldn’t lose any eligibility and was also able to practice and travel with the team.
“I had another teammate that helped me out a lot,” Saunders said of playing as a senior. “But carrying that weight, you get used to it, and it prepares you mentally. My freshman year at Valpo, I was kind of thrown to the wolves. It’s a lot of pressure, and if you haven’t experienced it, it would be hard. I would be ready to go home and be done with basketball had I not had my high school experience.”
Saunders is thankful for the significant playing time she received at Valpo, adding the experience she gained is crucial to where she is now. She also carries a special place in her heart for her hometown of DePauw. While it doesn’t have a stoplight, it’s a community that cares about sports.
It’s not just the stability and close proximity to DePauw that drew Saunders to USI. She also stressed the importance of leadership and culture and how those factors can make or break a team. She admired the Eagles’ coaching staff for not beating around the bush with her when she went through her recruitment process.
“(USI coach Rick) Stein and all the staff that was surrounded by him was very honest, brutally honest at times, which is what you want,” Saunders said. “So I knew what I was getting into when I came here. I knew it was going to be a great program. I knew their culture was right and I think that was the biggest thing.”
What doesn’t Saunders do? That’s the question Stein asked following USI’s victory against UT Martin. Saunders totaled nine points, three rebounds, threes assists and three steals against the Skyhawks at home, and Stein applauded her for chasing around the Skyhawks’ leading scorer all night long.
The Eagles have high expectations of what Saunders can continue to do for the team moving forward.
“When you talk about consistent play on both ends of the court, you think Ali Saunders right away,” Stein said. “Myself and our team has a lot of trust in her with the ball in her hands and what she’s doing. With Triniti (Ralston) and Ali kind of tag-teaming that point guard spot, I think we’ve got two of the best, no question about that.”
