Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Announces Jersey Retirements for Amber Harris and Ta’Shia Phillips
08.05.24 | Women's Basketball
CINCINNATI - Xavier University Athletics announced two additional names that will join an elite short list of men's and women's basketball players that have been chosen to have their jersey numbers retired. Former women's basketball All-Americans Amber Harris, who wore No. 11 from 2006-11 and Ta'Shia Phillips, who wore No. 53 from 2007-11, will have their jersey numbers honored permanently in Cintas Center. In July Xavier announced the retirement of Trevon Bluiett's No. 5 jersey. Other announcements are planned for later this summer or Fall.
The announcement of these jersey number retirements culminates a multi-year process to develop a standardized approach to jersey retirements and conversations within Xavier Athletics. Individual jersey unveilings and recognitions will take place in the coming basketball seasons.
These latest additions will join four former men's basketball players (Byron Larkin, Tyrone Hill, Brian Grant and David West) and two women's basketball players (Jo Ann Osterkamp and Tara Boothe) that currently have banners hanging in Cintas Center. In addition, former President Fr. James Hoff and former Academic Advisor and current Faculty Athletic Representative Sr. Rose Ann Fleming are honored with banners.
The duo of Harris and Phillips led Xavier to its most successful five year-period in women's basketball history, highlighted by a 2010 Elite Eight run that came up just short of the Final Four in a heartbreaking 55-53 loss to Stanford in the Regional Final. XU made four NCAA Tournaments during Harris' career (2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011) and four during Phillips' career (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011), including three years when they played together. XU averaged 27.3 wins per season during Harris' career and 27.0 wins during Phillips' career.
Harris, who was forced to sit out the entire 2008-09 season due to injury, is the highest ever selection by a Musketeer in the WNBA Draft, having been selected fourth overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 draft. Harris finished her career with 2,205 points (second all-time) and 1,226 rebounds (second all-time). She became the first Musketeer to be honored as a State Farm All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 2009-10 and repeated that honor in 2010-11. She earned Associated Press Second Team All-America honors in 2011 and Third Team honors in 2010. Harris was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year 2010 and 2011 and 2007 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year in addition to making the All-Atlantic 10 First Team four times. Harris was a member of the All-Tournament Team in all four of her appearances in the Atlantic 10 Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 A-10 Championship, leading XU to four championships.
After her stellar Xavier career, Phillips was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. Phillips earned plenty of national honors, including Associated Press Third Team All-American as a senior and State Farm Honorable Mention All-American in each of her final two seasons. Phillips, a two-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, was the 2008 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and the 2009 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in addition to being named to the A-10 First Team three times. She helped Xavier win three Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships and was named Most Outstanding Player in two of those title runs, 2008 and 2011.
Phillips finished second in the country in rebounding (12.4 rpg.) as a senior and third in field goal percentage (.605) in 2010-11. Phillips led the Atlantic 10 in rebounding for four consecutive years and became XU's all-time leading rebounder during the 2009-10 campaign, finishing her career with 1,552 career boards. Her 1,895 career points rank fourth all-time. She notched 77 career double-doubles.
The announcement of these jersey number retirements culminates a multi-year process to develop a standardized approach to jersey retirements and conversations within Xavier Athletics. Individual jersey unveilings and recognitions will take place in the coming basketball seasons.
These latest additions will join four former men's basketball players (Byron Larkin, Tyrone Hill, Brian Grant and David West) and two women's basketball players (Jo Ann Osterkamp and Tara Boothe) that currently have banners hanging in Cintas Center. In addition, former President Fr. James Hoff and former Academic Advisor and current Faculty Athletic Representative Sr. Rose Ann Fleming are honored with banners.
The duo of Harris and Phillips led Xavier to its most successful five year-period in women's basketball history, highlighted by a 2010 Elite Eight run that came up just short of the Final Four in a heartbreaking 55-53 loss to Stanford in the Regional Final. XU made four NCAA Tournaments during Harris' career (2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011) and four during Phillips' career (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011), including three years when they played together. XU averaged 27.3 wins per season during Harris' career and 27.0 wins during Phillips' career.
Harris, who was forced to sit out the entire 2008-09 season due to injury, is the highest ever selection by a Musketeer in the WNBA Draft, having been selected fourth overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 draft. Harris finished her career with 2,205 points (second all-time) and 1,226 rebounds (second all-time). She became the first Musketeer to be honored as a State Farm All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 2009-10 and repeated that honor in 2010-11. She earned Associated Press Second Team All-America honors in 2011 and Third Team honors in 2010. Harris was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year 2010 and 2011 and 2007 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year in addition to making the All-Atlantic 10 First Team four times. Harris was a member of the All-Tournament Team in all four of her appearances in the Atlantic 10 Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 A-10 Championship, leading XU to four championships.
After her stellar Xavier career, Phillips was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. Phillips earned plenty of national honors, including Associated Press Third Team All-American as a senior and State Farm Honorable Mention All-American in each of her final two seasons. Phillips, a two-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, was the 2008 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and the 2009 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in addition to being named to the A-10 First Team three times. She helped Xavier win three Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships and was named Most Outstanding Player in two of those title runs, 2008 and 2011.
Phillips finished second in the country in rebounding (12.4 rpg.) as a senior and third in field goal percentage (.605) in 2010-11. Phillips led the Atlantic 10 in rebounding for four consecutive years and became XU's all-time leading rebounder during the 2009-10 campaign, finishing her career with 1,552 career boards. Her 1,895 career points rank fourth all-time. She notched 77 career double-doubles.
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