Tragedy struck Thursday morning when former LSU basketball player Danielle Ballard was unfortunately killed by being struck by a vehicle in Memphis, Tennessee. She was just 29 years old.
The Memphis Police Department said that the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. The driver remained on the scene as Ballard was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after. The accident remains under investigation, per M.A. Voepel of ESPN.
Ballard played for the Tigers for three seasons 2012-2015. During this time she averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists in per game. She did not play during her senior season.
Article Continues BelowShe had a phenomenal freshman season for the Tigers as she led the SEC in steals and became the first LSU women's basketball player to notch 100 steals in a season. She also was second among all SEC players in both scoring and rebounding, showing her true versatility. Thanks to her great efforts, she also received many accolades for her play while at LSU including the LSWA Louisiana Freshman of the Year, All-SEC First Team selection as a junior, and All-SEC Defensive team for both her freshman and junior years.
LSU released an official statement regarding Ballard's death saying, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Danielle. She meant a great deal to our program and was such a big part of our women’s basketball family. It’s difficult to understand why this happened to someone who was so full of life and had so much promise. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends,” per the LSU Sports official webpage.