RANDOMNESS with Liberty's Danika Dale

Still trying to fit in a few more for RANDOMNESS, and we're thrilled that Liberty Danika Dale took part. Friday is Senior Night for the 6-1 guard/forward, one of three Lady Flames who has started every game. Dale averages 7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg and is second on the team in assists (3.1) and steals (50).

What will you miss about college?

Probably all the free food and basketball in general. Just traveling and spending time with the team.

What road trip has been the most fun?

The coastal trips because we also stay at the Ocean View hotels with Marriott. The beach is really nice. I get some nice pictures out there.

You're a graphic design major who want to be a sports photographer. What event would you like to shoot?


The NBA All-Star game. It has a lot of the greater athletes playing and they all do amazing things on the court. It would be fun to photograph the moments of the game where they're doing really athletic things.

Favorite player?

I don't have a favorite, but if I had to choose one, it would probably be Derrick Rose.

Other hobbies?

Food. I used to want to be a chef. I didn't care to learn all the fancy names. I just wanted to learn how to cook.

I love to drive. I'm big on traveling. It doesn't matter if I make the plans a week in advance or if I make the plans in 30 minutes. I'm also a big animal person. Not so much spiders, but everything else is really cool. I have two dogs (Jack Russells) at home and a cat in town. His name is Felix. He's entertaining He fetches. He plays hide-and-seek. He's really like a dog. If you run, he'll chase you.

What do you cook well?

Cinnabons.

Have you had any recipe flops?

Usually I cook things I'm able to make. But you know those fancy cakes on "Cake Boss"? They make them all smooth and put eyes on them. That would be cool.

Your favorite food?

I love spicy foods. It doesn't matter what it is. If it's spicy, it's a bonus.

You hail from Fort Hood, Texas, but have lived all over the place. What was your favorite place to call home?

Baumholder, Germany

Probably Germany (Baumholder) because it's so close to all the other countries and the food there is amazing. It's a beautiful place and anywhere you go, you can find really good food. We lived there twice. The last time we left I was in sixth grade.

Anywhere you didn't like?

Probably Louisiana

You were the first girl in your high school (Shoemaker) to earn a basketball scholarship. What was the basketball like then?

We had one decent team we played against, but other than that I had to get on the AAU team in Austin. So I'd to drive out an hour and a half for practice whenever we had it and drive back. The Fort Hood area is not really big on girls basketball. When I graduated me and one other boy from a different school were the only two kids from the whole area to get a scholarship.

Did you always know you wanted to play in college?


I knew from elementary, drawing my numbers and my stats on my notebooks. It used to irritate my mom because it seemed like it was all I ever cared about. I had (No) 21 all the way up until college. Actually maybe I had 22 in high school because they didn't have 21. I wanted to go back to my root number, 21, here, but somebody got it, so I went with 12 because it's the reverse.

Favorite basketball experience at Liberty?

I really enjoy the Big South. Not just for the basketball, but I get to meet other people as well. I've been able to make friendships with players on other teams.

You were part of the Friendship Games -- a mission to create peace in the Middle East by bringing together student basketball players at the university for a week-long basketball tournament -- in 2010. (Dale played four games for the Palestinian team.) What stands out as your memory?


I had a lot of fun meeting the people who were hosting us. I got to spend a lot of time with the Israel team and the German team. The Palestinians were very kind people, too.

Why did you choose Liberty?

When I had talked to the people who went here and met the coaches, everybody seemed really nice, like they actually cared. I didn't want to be in a place where people just wanted you because you're good. I wanted people who cared. I didn't even look at the website before I signed. I based it on the people I met on my visit and when they came to see me in Texas.

Three people you'd like to have dinner with?

Johnny Depp, Joey Saravia and Lenny Kravitz. I used to love his CDs and play them all the time.

Dinner with Depp

Favorite movie?

I love movies, especially action movies. I have an older movie "The Shadow," that's one of my favorites.

Favorite book?

I used to be obsessed with "The Series of Unfortunate Events."

An app you enjoy?

The one I've messing with a lot lately is called Sleep Cycle Alarm. You put it on  your bed, and it monitors your movement and tells you when the best time to wake up is. You choose a time, like 8:15 to 8:45. As you're moving around in bed, it picks the point where you're most awake and it wakes you up.

What happens after graduation?

I'm hoping I'll be able to go overseas. If it doesn't happen, I move on to the next step in life. I plan on going back to school (in Texas) and finishing up my photography minor.