Lights shine across the hardwood floor as players sprint down the court, the buzzer beeps echoing through the gym. Sweat drips onto the court as girls try to catch their breath. Coach Ashley Davis blows the whistle. “Clap it up,” she calls, closing out another good practice. Her team goes home for the day. Their hard work and determination reminds Davis of herself, starting her career in her backyard to finishing it at the collegiate level.

As the head coach of the Lady Highlanders basketball team, Davis has dedicated herself to building a program that focuses on discipline, resilience, and hard work. Her journey from playing pickup games in her backyard with her brother, to working with the Houston Rockets for 24-years, both shaped her into the coach she is today. She pushes her athletes to be the best they can be everyday, just like her coaches did for her. Her story of perseverance, mentorship, and leadership has helped her through her basketball career.

Davis’s love for basketball came from a young age, even before stepping into high school. Her brothers had a big impact on her, growing up, playing with them helped make her better and stronger.

“I started playing basketball at a very young age, I was around 5 years old.” Davis recalled. “I am the only girl with all older brothers, so my basketball interest began playing in the backyard with, and against, my brothers and dad.”

This sparked her passion for basketball. As she grew so did her love of the game. She didn’t just want to play the game, but master it. She credits the coaches in her life for helping shape the kind of player and leader she is today.

“I was blessed to have some really good coaches throughout my career. Many of my coaches were males and they were all really hard on me and had high expectations,” she said, but if she had to select just one that impacted her most it “would be her high school freshman coach,” She said. “She wasn’t as mean as I thought, but, in fact, all it was, was her teaching me how to be disciplined in what I do. She had expectations for me and always held me accountable. If I’m honest, I didn’t truly appreciate the gifts she was giving until I was a little older, and they all began to pay off.”

Davis attended Eisenhower High School and excelled in multiple sports. She spent two years on varsity, dccvand received many awards during her high school career.

“I played basketball, volleyball, and softball,” she said. “I was named 1st Team All-District in 2003 and 2004, academic All-District in 2003 and 2004, and I was Eisenhower’s Female Athlete of the year.”

Between basketball and school, she was able to also land a job working with the Houston Rockets, a connection that has completely changed her life.

“A friend of the family was working as the Senior receptionist for the Houston Rockets, and my mom asked her to talk with the Equipment Manager for the Houston Comets (the professional women’s team) to see if I could become a ball girl,” she explained.“She called back the following day and told me they would like me to come and work with both the Houston Rockets and the Houston Comets. So, since the age of 16, I have been working with the organization under Basketball Operations. I am currently in my 24th season with the organization.”

This job allowed her to meet many of her favorite players and coaches, each giving her valuable advice. After finishing her senior season she had to figure out what she wanted to do after high school. She knew that she wanted to play at the collegiate level and took matters into her own hands, reaching out to the head coach at Houston Baptist University.

“My daddy actually told me about the University because it was close to home, I could potentially play basketball and still keep my gig working with the Houston Rockets.”

This wasn’t an easy task for her, but she managed to push through and prove herself.

“I contacted the head coach and told him of my interest in joining the team and sent some VHS tapes of my games,” she said. She was invited to attend an open gym, and then another, and another. “At the start of the 3rd open gym, the assistant coach walked me to the locker room and told me to pick a locker and asked what jersey number I desired,” she said.

Her first year she was a walk on, but that quickly changed. “ The next year, due to a coaching change, I was only given a partial athletic scholarship, and my last two years I was on full scholarship!”

Davis had finally reached her goals of playing at the collegiate level, but her journey wasn’t without heartbreak.

“My biggest challenge I faced as an athlete actually happened off the basketball court,” she explained.

During her sophomore year in college, she heard a knock on her dorm room door. It was her mom, delivering some terrible news that her best friend had died in a car accident.

“We played high school basketball together but ended up attending two different colleges. So, every opportunity we got, we would go play basketball on the weekends, and we were supposed to go back the following Friday to play again, but she passed away that Monday,” she said.

Davis lost one of her best friends and her biggest supporter, but she couldn’t let this stop her. She had to find ways to stay ‘locked-in’ during games, and collegiate studies to continue her journey. Even after her friend’s loss, there were some moments of happiness, such as her senior night, when she had her family there that supported her throughout her career and helped her reach this point.

“Just having the opportunity to play the game I love and having all my family, including my grandparent,in the stands with the biggest smiles on their faces” She exclaimed, remembering it as one of her favorite memories.

After college, she knew that basketball was her calling, and wanted to pursue a career in this field. Taking many coaching jobs in her career, she finally landed a head coaching job at The Woodlands High School.

“I always knew after my playing days I would be a coach,” Davis said. “ I love the game very much and enjoy every aspect of it. I also hung out with my coaches when I was in high school, so my admiration for them made me want to be just like them. They are still very influential in my life.”

For Coach Ashley Davis, she has started her 2025 -2026 season with the Lady Highlanders and is excited to see her players grow and carry the lessons she has taught them, just like her coaches did for her. She leaves them with one message.

“In all that you do, give your max effort, remain coach-able, never take an opportunity for granted, and always remember that to reach success you have to learn from the losses in life and in the game.”