“I was always the type of person that set really big goals and worked hard to achieve them,” 6-foot-1 junior forward Hayley Frank said. “I hope that [younger athletes] can see that and be inspired to set their own goals and do really big things in their own life.”
Not only did Frank lead her high school in Strafford, Missouri, to 115 consecutive wins and four straight Missouri Class 3A state championships, she was also ranked No. 1 in her graduating class and was a two-time Gatorade Missouri Girls Basketball Player of the Year and 2019 WBCA High School All-America Honorable Mention honoree.
She is among Missouri’s all-time ranks, finishing her high school career as the state holder of 1,629 rebounds, No. 5 in assists (824) and No. 8 in points (3,003). To top it off, Frank was also a three-time all-state infielder on the softball team and a three-time state qualifier for the golf team.
Since joining the women’s basketball program at Missouri in 2019, Frank has impacted the program tremendously.
During her freshman season, Frank appeared in all 31 games and made eight career starts. She averaged 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.3 minutes per game while finishing the season as No.14 in the NCAA for free throw percentage (.878), This set a Missouri freshman program record and she finished the season No.12 in 3-pointers made per game (1.5) and No. 30 in scoring (11.8). Because of her notable accomplishments during her first season as a Tiger, Frank was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Frank built upon the goals she had set for herself and continued to spread the positive impact she had for the Tigers during her sophomore year when she started in all 20 games, averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.2 minutes per game. With shooting the ball 45.1% from the three (37-of-82) and 87.0% from the free-throw line (40-of-46), Frank holds the school record for three-point and free-throw percentages.
As Frank’s junior season is coming to a close, her drive and success has only grown. Not only has the junior forward hit a career-high of 43 minutes played in the game against South Carolina, she also has hit a career-high of seven 3-pointers in the game against Texas A&M. She also scored a career-high of 29 points in the game against Columbia. She is currently averaging 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and is shooting .450%from the 3-point range and .863 from the free-throw line, ranking her No. 8 in the SEC for 3-point percentage.
In addition to these statistics, Frank made history this season, as she became the 39th Tiger to reach the 1,000 point mark.
In the game against Georgia on Feb. 17, Frank sunk a 3-pointer that put her at 999 career points. Pretty soon after the beginning of the game, Frank drove to the basket and drew a foul, which put her at the line. With a swish of the net for the first shot, Frank made her name known in history books as she accomplished this milestone.
There is no doubt that Frank is determined to achieve success within the goals she sets for herself. She demonstrates leadership and is dedicated to the success of her team.
“I think it’s just the work we’ve put in in the off-season, and more importantly, the relationships we’ve built,” Frank said. “This is a really close team that just goes to battle for each other. It doesn’t matter who’s putting up the stats each night. We’re just going to go to work for each other. As long as we are getting wins, that’s what we want.”
Frank has indeed carried over the mentality of setting and achieving big goals from her high school career. Not only has she made history during her time at Missouri, but she has also helped lead her team to historical moments like beating the No.1 ranked team South Carolina for the first time in program history.
Frank has been an inspiration to young athletes in the way she presents herself on and off the court. Frank plays with good composure and poise that exemplifies the amount of heart and dedication she pours into each and every game.
Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@adminter.com
