Teasha Murphy, who lives in Charlotte, was a 6-foot-1 center that bounced in and out of the game of basketball in middle school and high school before developing into a phenomenal player under head coach Wendee Saintsing’s tutelage at Barton.
She was a role player on a state championship basketball team at Clinton High School, but she was a star for the Bulldogs, earning Carolinas Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in 1993 and Conference Player of the Year honors her junior and senior seasons. Murphy, a four-time All-Conference performer, averaged 21.5 points per game for her career and finished as the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,160 points. She also shot 51.5 percent from the floor and averaged 9.7 rebounds during her four years. She made the All-Region team as a senior.
The daughter of Floyd and Barbara Murphy was team MVP and co-MVP her final two years at Barton and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. After a six-year stint as a Federal Express courier in Wilson, she spent two years teaching P.E. in Belmont, N.C. She has been working as a Psychoeducational Counselor/Community Support Case Manager for mental health at-risk youth at True Behavioral Healthcare in Gastonia, N.C.
She has been playing alongside Karen Curtis, High Point University’s All-American point guard, who was a star in the Carolinas Conference while Murphy was at Barton, along with a couple of former WNBA players.
Murphy takes pride in helping the women’s program at Barton make the move to the top that it has maintained. The Lady Bulldogs were 11-14 her first season, then went 16-11, 15-10 and 16-10 over the next three seasons. She still laments over what could have been, especially considering the type of talent that surrounded her in the Royal Blue and White.
Murphy grew up in a large family – five biological siblings and two half-brothers – and now, she has two adopted sons of her own with partner, Roberta Vassell.
