'It means a lot': Darianna Littlepage-Buggs not taking McDonald's All-American selection for granted
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was in class the day she got the news of a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
“I was just cheesing all day,” Littlepage-Buggs said.
It wasn’t long before her Classen SAS teammates heard the news as well, and the celebration began for the 6-foot-1 Baylor commit in the SAS school building on the northeast side of Oklahoma City.
Back in January, Littlepage-Buggs received the news that she was going to be a McDonald’s All-American, an honor given out to 24 girls across the nation each year. After leading Classen SAS (24-1) to its first state tournament win, first state title and the largest victory margin in a Class 4A final, the senior suited up for the West All-American squad on Tuesday night to showcase her skills to the nation.
The games returned to Chicago this year after not being held in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carlson: Darianna Littlepage-Buggs likes her basketball & music the same way: with oomph.
Littlepage-Buggs is the seventh girls player from Oklahoma to earn McDonald's All-American honors. Moore’s Aaliyah Moore earned a selection last season.
“It means a lot honestly,” Littlepage-Buggs said of the selection. “Not a lot of people get this opportunity. Just being here is really great."
The McDonald’s All-American experience is one she’s always dreamed of going through. When Littlepage-Buggs was younger, she was inspired by Breanna Stewart and her story. Littlepage-Buggs even molded parts of her game around the 6-foot-4 forward out of UConn, who was a part of the only four-time NCAA national champion.
Now, Littlepage-Buggs knows she can inspire the next generation of girls basketball players with her story. And being a role model is a part of the process she isn’t shying away from.
“My best advice to anyone is just be yourself,” Littlepage-Buggs said. “When you’re yourself you do better and it takes a lot to realize that sometimes. You can’t really focus on anybody else, but you got to focus on what you bring to the table and capitalize on it. Just don’t be ashamed to put it out there, just work on you and be yourself, and you’ll be all right.”
Class 4A girls basketball: Classen SAS dominates Tuttle, wins school's first state championship in any sport
The 2022 Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year routinely tallied double-doubles during her senior season, including in the Class 4A state championship where she tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds. She averaged 15.6 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists en route to the state title, solidifying herself as one of Oklahoma's best rebounders and defensive forwards.
Despite her production, Littlepage-Buggs said she wasn’t be going after any personal stat lines in the McDonald’s All-American game. She just wanted to compete against the best players on the floor.
“I just play and it comes to me,” Littlepage-Buggs said before the East's 95-75 win.
Littlepage-Buggs has just been soaking in the moment since she arrived in Chicago. She's spent a lot of time bonding with teammates, who are all ESPN nationally-ranked Class of 2022 prospects. Littlepage-Buggs is No. 17 on the list.
“They’re really funny,” Littlepage-Buggs said of her teammates. “Everywhere we go, we get some really good entertainment.”
James D. Jackson covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for James? He can be reached at jjackson@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @JamesDJackson15. Support James' work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Darianna Littlepage-Buggs will make her McDonald's All-American debut
