Former LSU Basketball Player Danielle Ballard, Dies at 29

Louisiana State University has been in the news lately, most recently for winning the College World Series after its women’s basketball team won the 2023 championship. But this time around, the school is mourning.

According to LSU, former student-athlete Danielle Ballard, a standout basketball player for the Tigers, has recently passed away.

LSU mourns the loss of Danielle Ballard

📄 https://t.co/eKr2D3ZqVk pic.twitter.com/DpvvfL5sa7

— LSU Women’s Basketball (@LSUwbkb) July 13, 2023

Ballard played for the university from 2012-2015. She was involved in a tragic accident in Memphis where she was hit by a car and died from her injuries.

In a written statement, LSU said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Danielle. She meant a great deal to our program and was such a big part of our women’s basketball family. It’s difficult to understand why this happened to someone who was so full of life and had so much promise. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”

A native of Shelby County, Tennessee, Ballard attended LSU for three years. As a basketball player, she earned first-team All-SEC honors during her senior year while helping the Tigers appear in back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances at the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while attending LSU. In her first year, she took home SEC All-Freshman honors in 2013 and was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team two times.

The Associated Press reported that Memphis police verified that the 29-year-old Ballard “succumbed to her injuries” after being taken to a local hospital. She was taken from the scene of an accident after emergency dispatchers received a report at 1:26 a.m. on Thursday.

The driver’s identity nor the incident’s circumstances have not been revealed. Authorities have stated that an investigation was ongoing and in its preliminary stages.