Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Freshman Spotlight: Brittney Patrick
07/29/2016 | 1:16:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Brittney Patrick's trophy room is running out of space; just last year, she was selected to the Associated Press All-State honorable mention team, was chosen as Bolingbrook's Female Athlete of the Year and was also a nominee for the prestigious McDonald's All-American game. Brittney believes her success, and the accolades that have come with it, can be attributed to having grown up in a competitive family.
"Growing up, my family and I were always competitive," Patrick said. "Whether we were playing basketball in the backyard or even a race to see who can get to the remote the fastest, we were always trying to see who the top dog was in the family."
That sisterly competitiveness was all the more evident on the basketball court, as Brittney played on most of Courtney's club teams despite being three years younger. To add to it, both Brittney and Courtney played point guard, with the two sharing the backcourt during Brittney's freshman season at DeKalb High School. Following in her sister's footsteps, and the resulting comparisons between the two, was initially cause for resentment, but later became motivation.
"As a kid I was always compared to my older sister, Courtney," Patrick said. "I used to hate it, but as time went on I embraced it. It made me want to be the best person and basketball player that I could be."
The daughter of William and Juletta Patrick, Brittney and Courtney have a younger sister, Johnna. Both William and Juletta were involved with athletics while undergraduates at Northern Illinois University, with William a running back/wide receiver on NIU's football team, while Juletta was a cheerleader for the Huskies. Brittney knows her success to this point would not be possible without her family, specifically her loving sisters.
"Looking back at my life now, it's crazy to think that I have accomplished so much," Patrick said. "None of it would be possible without the help of my two sisters motivating me to be the best person/competitor that I can be."
That motivation has manifested into success for Brittney, as she led Bolingbrook High School to back-to-back Class 4A Lemont Regional Championships in her two seasons there after arriving from DeKalb following her sophomore season. The 2015 Regional Championship game was especially sweet for Brittney, as she sank a pair of free throws with 21.4 seconds to play that broke a 42-42 tie and gave Bolingbrook its 15th regional championship in 16 seasons.
Brittney will begin her freshman year at SIU as a pre-physical therapy major.
