University of Georgia Athletics
Lady Bulldogs Celebrate Senior Day Sunday
February 29, 2020 | Women's Basketball
Despite the varying paths Stephanie Paul and Ari Henderson took to get to where they are today, the two lone Lady Bulldog seniors understand the Georgia basketball family more than anyone.
ÂPaul came to Georgia from Naples, Fla. with a First-Team All-State selection under her belt. While seeing considerable minutes throughout her freshman season, she earned a starting spot for the final 10 games. Her playing tenure at Georgia only took off from there.
ÂNow as a senior, Paul has started every game of the 2019-20 season. What may have seemed like an easy transition to becoming a starter and leader for the Lady Bulldogs did not come without trial. A knee injury that halted her sophomore season caused her to lean on her family more than ever.
ÂActually, it caused her to lean on her two families. As the youngest of nine siblings, Paul was born into a team. To her, her family and Georgia basketball family are the same.
Â"Pushing through adversity, I feel like my family and my Georgia family do a good job of that," Paul said. "There's been a lot of tough times, but it helps just having people to rely on both sides. My family is so big and connected and that's also how my Georgia family is."
ÂHenderson sprung onto the scene in a slightly different fashion. Without an offer in hand upon arrival in Athens, her love of basketball was the catalyst for her four-year journey as a walk-on and recipient of the Andy Landers Women's Basketball Scholarship. Henderson felt the impact of the Lady Bulldog family instantly with no hesitation.
Â"I didn't think I would ever be in the place I'm at now," Henderson said. "Coming here I never thought I would be a part of a team. Just being here and being a part of this team and how they and the coaching staff embraced me when I first got here, they didn't treat me any differently because I was a walk on. I was just like anybody else."
ÂHenderson's sophomore year roommate was none other than Paul herself. Despite Paul's injury and the ups and downs of being an underclassman, what the two remember most fondly were the late-night moments of singing, dancing and laughing they shared in their dorm room.
Â"We'd goof around and have karaoke nights where we'd sing and just scream. It's cool to see how she's grown with me to the very end because we started together," Henderson said.
ÂAs the team is seemingly always dancing, Paul started her @dancelikesteph_ account to inspire others to join her in dancing to lift others. With almost 1,000 followers, the simple idea spread and became a way to highlight the fun-spirited nature of herself and the Lady Bulldogs off the court.Â
ÂWhether it is on a game day, at practice or merely dancing with one of Georgia basketball's biggest fans, Paul states her dancing is "something that I do to ensure I'm having fun and I'm keeping my joy."
ÂThis senior day, both of Paul's teams will be by her side celebrating her four-year contribution to the Lady Bulldogs. She hopes to attend graduate school next fall.
ÂHenderson will be serving her country and joining the Navy as a civil engineer upon graduation. While she has had the idea in her mind since the ninth grade, her time at Georgia and in basketball and her civil engineering major only encouraged her to pursue the Navy further.
Â"Just being around people from different backgrounds, learning to work with other people, obviously the physical aspects of it [will help]. The leadership skills that I have gained on this team will directly relate to things I will have to do as an officer. This program has prepared me greatly for the military."
ÂBoth Henderson and Paul attribute a lot of their success and memories at Georgia to the coaching staff, notably Coach Joni Taylor, her open door and unwavering encouragement.
ÂThey remember once in a lifetime experiences such as the team's trip to Italy, jumping off piers, dancing, playing basketball and enjoying each other off the court.Â
ÂAs they play their final home game in a Georgia basketball uniform and reflect on their past four years, they know they always have each other, their teammates, family and Athens to call home.
