Aimee Rischard (#4 | 5-5 | G | So.)
You can bring in all of the 6-foot tall highly touted recruits you want, but a good basketball team always needs someone with an amount of heart that can’t be measured. The Bluejays lost that when guard Sammy Jensen graduated last spring. They got it back when Aimee Rischard, former manager for the women’s basketball team at Oklahoma, transferred to Creighton and tried out for the team. She participated in team workouts and played pick-up with the 10 returning players and four newcomers until head coach Jim Flanery told her she had done enough to make the team.
Rischard hasn’t rested on her laurels since that point either. She’s been a spark plug for a group with high expectations throughout preseason practice. Though she might find it hard to see minutes during games with all of the experience Creighton has returning in the back court, her consistent effort in practice is pushing those who will see the floor to be sharper. She handles the ball and shoots it well, and isn’t shy about hitting the floor for a loose ball or fighting a much bigger player for a rebound. That’s the type of contribution, doing the dirty work, that can ratchet up the energy level in practice or in a game.
Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
- averaged 13.5 points and 5.4 assists per game as a senior
- was named team MVP as a junior and senior
- named team Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore
- a three-year team captain, and is her school’s all-time leader with more than 500 assists in her career
Head Coach Jim Flanery on Rischard:
“We’re happy that she has chosen to be a part of the team. She’s helped us in practice. She’s a competitive kid who can handle the ball, and keep us structured. She plays within herself, which reminds me of Sammy Jensen. She’s not at that level yet, but she’s got the potential to first help us as a practice player, and if she sticks with it she can maybe help us more down the road. Right now that’s kind of what her role is, and we’re happy that she’s a part of it.”
5-on-5 with Aimee Rischard
Q: What went into the decision to transfer from Oklahoma and try out for the team?
A: “I actually applied to Creighton and OU, and I ended up choosing OU [out of high school]. I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to play, so I wanted to be a part of the team somehow, and I knew [Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale] and knew that I could be a part of the team by being a manager. I think OU was just so close to home, and it was safe, and my sisters went there, so I chose OU. When I got there I missed playing so much. It was so hard that I couldn’t make that school my own, it never felt like home to me; it was so big and I was just a number there. At break, since I was deciding between Creighton and Oklahoma, my dad and I came and visited Creighton at Christmas break. We talked to Flan, and I just had a really good feel for the place. I came to the Kansas game and it was a great environment, it was amazing. I thought about transferring at semester, but it was happening too fast, so I came back in May and just loved it, and decided to come here.
“My dad and I talked and he said that I need to choose a school that if I’m not playing basketball at, I’m still going to be happy. This was the best choice. Then making the team, I would have been really sad if I didn’t make it, but it all worked out.”
Q: What was your reaction when you found out you had made the team?
A: “I was ecstatic. Taking a year and a half off, it was so hard, because I was around it all the time, but I couldn’t play it. I don’t even know if it was playing or just being a part of something that was bigger than myself. I had been around the girls and when Flan told me… it was one of the best days, especially since I’ve been here.”
Q: Oklahoma is at a place program-wise where Creighton kind of wants to be as far being a consistent top 25 program. Being with this team and playing with this group, how close is this team to being in that discussion?
A: “My dad and I were actually talking about that, and he kind of wanted to know where we were at. I think it’s really close. I don’t have the same feel, because I never played with the Oklahoma girls, but just watching them practice, and seeing all of the skill — there is so much skill on this team. I think we’re right there.”
Q: When you saw that Creighton was picked fourth in the Big East, what did you think, and what are your expectations for this group this season?
A: “I thought that was a good spot. You’re not at the very top, so it’s not like everyone is chasing you, you’re still kind of the hunter. I thought it was a really good spot to be. I think there is nowhere to go but up. As far as I can tell I think we’re going to be good.”
Q: When your career at Creighton is over, what will you have hoped to accomplish in your time as a Bluejay?
A: “I think it would be amazing to go to the NCAA Tournament. But I just think it’s about the relationships you build. I want to be an integral part of the team no matter what my role is. Being the best teammate I can be, that’s what I want to accomplish.”