Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raider Nobles Has a Passion for Fashion
August 06, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 6, 2009
By Taylor Wilson, Texas Tech Athletic Media Relations
Many of today's top athletes often finish their playing careers with the hopes and aspirations to use the name and legacy they have made for themselves to embark on their careers outside of sports. As Texas Tech freshman Shauntal Nobles begins her college basketball career in Lubbock, it is her desire to one day make it to the big leagues, which she hopes will enable her to pursue her love for fashion.
A 2009 graduate of Northwest High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Nobles didn't have an immediate love for fashion. When Nobles was a young girl, the Lady Raider's mother would dress her in matching outfits, which she says played a role in her taking her first interest in the fashion world.
"In my early ages I wasn't completely girly," said the Haslet, Texas, native. "My mom had to kind of shake me a little bit."
A number of years later, when Nobles was in middle school, she started to become passionate about fashion and began to fall in love with the industry. During these years, she developed a knack for the designing aspect of the industry and has been sketching designs ever since.
The 6-3 post player attributes most of her inspiration for her designs and sketches to her mother's physique and style.
"I get a lot of style from my mom," said Nobles, who graduated in the top 10 percent of her senior class. "I try and draw a lot of stuff that will flatter her."
Along with sketching designs inspired by her mother, Nobles enjoys creating designs that are based on the things she does every day, including basketball. "I like drawing outfits based on basketball, and stuff that I do and stuff that I wear myself," Nobles stated.
The business administration major believes that just because she plays basketball every day does not mean she can't enjoy letting her hair down and allowing herself to be very girly. Tech's newcomer enjoys dressing up as much as being on the court in shorts and a t-shirt.
"I'm a basketball player, but I don't like just wearing shorts every day. I love dressing up," says Nobles, who one day plans to get her master's degree in apparel design. "I like showing my girly side, even though I play ball."
Playing ball is something Nobles also has a passion for. The freshman left Northwest High School as the all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks and free throws and led her respective region in rebounds each of her last three years. The Lady Raider was selected to the first team all-district and earned TABC all-region honors all four years. She was a two-time District Offensive Player of the Year and named District Most Valuable Player her senior year.
With her proven skills and talents on the court, the Lady Raider hopes to continue her achievements and success throughout her career under coach Curry, in hopes that one day she may make it to the big leagues. But the professional game isn't all this young ball player has in mind.
Like many of today's star athletes, Nobles aspires to create a name for herself off the basketball court. She plans to accomplish this by way of her basketball career, at both the college level and the professional level, in which she can one day use to market her fashion designs and inspirations.
"I hope I can get to the next level one day and market my name so I can be a designer," said the ambitious Nobles. "It'll make it easier because there's a lot of money you have to put into it anyways. So hopefully that'll come true."
