Mother, daughter ready for showdown

When a whistle is blown to temporarily stop play, one of the first things Nicholls State women’s basketball coach DoBee Plaisance does is looks to the scorer’s table to see if her opponent is making a substitution.

This Tuesday when the Colonels take on LSU, the face staring back at her will be one she’s seen her whole life.

That’s because the coach will be squaring off against one of her own, LSU freshman and DoBee’s daughter, former Vandebilt Catholic All-American Theresa Plaisance.

Just six days from the game, the mother said she has “no idea” how she will respond having to coach against her daughter in a competitive collegiate basketball game.

“Her walking onto the court for the first time, that’s going to be different,” DoBee Plaisance said. “Usually when a sub is made, it’s ‘OK, you’ve got a new man out there.’ But when it will be her, it’s definitely going to be different.”

Competition among the Plaisance women is nothing new.

Where Theresa has spent her entire life as the up-and-coming basketball star, DoBee has been there and done that, serving as a four-year starter at the college level for the University of New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana before getting into the coaching ranks.

And while Tuesday’s game will pit the two against one another in an official matchup for the first time, the mother said it won’t be the first time they lock horns.

“We’re very competitive,” the mother said. “We’ve actually played 1-on-1 basketball and yes, we’ve played other games and things like that, so it’s going to be interesting.”

Theresa agreed and told SportsNet in August that she knows she’ll be playing for two coaches when the Lady Tigers play Nicholls.

“I know my mom will be trying to win the game, because that’s her job,” she said. “But I know when it’s over, I’ll get told that I should have blocked out better or that I shouldn’t have picked up my dribble or something like that. My mom loves me and she and I are very close, so I know that game will be hard for her. It’s going to be a little weird for me, too.”

While the reunion between mother and daughter is one thing, Tuesday’s game will also unite Theresa with a few of her closest friends, as well.

Former Vandebilt Catholic starters Sybil Washington and Shikera Ross now play for the Colonels and will also be matched against their former teammate and close friend for the first time since high school practices.

“We’re very excited about that,” Washington said. “But it’s going to be weird, because we’re used to playing together and not against each other.”

The toughest thing, the teammates say, will be seeing Theresa in a serious light. The 6-foot-5-inch standout is ferocious on opponents, but not necessarily to anyone else. She’s a self-described “big joker,” who was “always trying to make everyone else laugh.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Ross said. “It’s going to be very different, though, because we were all such close teammates. It’s going to be kind of impossible to see her in that competitive light, because after you know her, it’s hard to take her serious.”

In the days leading to the game, there has been plenty contact among the former teammates.

So much so that Plaisance was texting Ross and Washington as they were being asked about the matchup.

“We’re talking to her right now,” Ross said with a laugh. “We’ve never lost contact. We’ve stayed very close.”

Despite the Plaisance family reunion, those on all sides say the game ultimately is more about Nicholls vs. LSU.

The Lady Tigers will be visiting Stopher Gymnasium for the first time ever for a women’s basketball game.

That, DoBee Plaisance believes, is a landmark for the entire Nicholls State University, not just the women’s basketball team.

“I can’t thank [LSU coach] Van Chancellor enough,” Plaisance said. “He’s a legend and for him to give us the opportunity to host them, that’s huge for this institution. This isn’t just about women’s basketball. This is huge for the community and the institution, and I’m just so grateful to Van for allowing us to host them.”

While the gym LSU will see is new, the attitude among the Colonels’ team is even newer.

Nicholls started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2002, following a last second win against Louisiana-Monroe.

That start has pumped plenty of life into the program and Plaisance and the players agree fan support is at an all-time high.

“I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate the crowd support that we’ve had,” the coach said. “We’ve had super turnouts and our student sections have been cheering and have been into it. They’ve been saying chants and we have not had anyone here saying chants since I’ve been here. It’s the sixth man on the court and I just really, really appreciate it.”

Ross agreed and said she hears from everyone throughout the campus that they cannot wait for the next Colonels’ home game, especially with LSU coming to town.

“Everybody’s like, ‘We’re so excited and we’re going to be there November 30 to watch y’all play,’” Washington said. “Everybody is just so excited and is so ready for that game.”

“We’re just ready to prove everybody right and play hard,” Ross added. “We’re ready to give them more reason to keep coming out to support us.”

Nicholls State women’s basketball coach DoBee Plaisance (left) and the Colonels are preparing for this Tuesday’s matchup with LSU. That matchup will pit Plaisance against her daughter, LSU freshman Theresa Plaisance. CASEY GISCLAIR