NEW YORK - Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince have been rivals on the court for the last six years playing on different high school, AAU, and college teams.
Off the court, though, they are the best of friends, always texting and talking to each other.
Unusual? No, they're just two of many New York City women playing college basketball around the country who remain connected because of their roots.
"It's pretty cool," said Prince, who led Rutgers to the national championship game her freshman year. "It's the same group of people that we all grew up with, playing against each other. We all had the same dream: to play Division 1 basketball and eventually go on to the WNBA. And so far, our dreams are coming true."
Charles, who led Connecticut to a 21-0 start before losing to Prince's Scarlet Knights, agreed with her friend. The two will meet again tomorrow with the Big East title on the line.
"New York is the mecca of basketball, we have a lot of people coming out of there and doing positive things. It's great," she said. "You like to see the people you grew up with and played against do well."
New York City has been a hotbed for girls basketball for years. Perennial national high school champion Christ the King and recent powerhouses Murray Bergtraum and St. Michael's have turned out many talented college players the last few years.
Syracuse's rise this season to its first-ever ranking is in no small part due to its NYC players. A check of the roster shows six players from the New York City area, including Nicole Michael, Erica Morrow, and Vionca Murray.
"Those kids are saving my life right now," Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman said. "They are very good players, tough kids, they are very aggressive. What sets them apart is that New York City kids play a lot of basketball outside of the season."
What sets them apart is what also draws them together: the New York City experience.
So it's not surprising that they're talking or texting when they're away, or playing in a pickup game when they're home.
"I definitely keep in touch with Piph, Nicole Michael, Erica Morrow, there's so many I can name. Vionca Murray. There's a lot of people we all keep in touch, it's a New York thing," Charles said.
While a lot of the New York City players have stayed in the Big East, a few have ventured down South and out West.
Shannon Bobbitt helped Tennessee win its seventh national championship last season. She credits a lot of her basketball success to growing up in the city.
"If you don't bring your A game, they'll make you pay," Bobbitt said. "They have tough crowds. It makes you mentally strong. It's where you learn to compete."
While Bobbitt ended up at Tennessee after playing at a junior college, Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt is no stranger to recruiting New York players straight out of high school. She knows how much talent there is in the Big Apple.
"Obviously when Chamique [Holdsclaw] was in high school, seeing her play, I thought she was the real deal. I've thought the same about Nicky [Anosike]," Summitt said.
Some New Yorkers even venture out to the West Coast. Despite the distance, they still feel connected to their roots.
"It's a close-knit family. We're rooting for each other," said Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, who plays for No. 7 Stanford. "You never had to be friends or hang out every weekend, but you pull for each other.
"If you're a baller in New York, you know each other. You're real tight with some of them and everybody knows each other. Even if you're from a different borough, you're still just a train ride away."
Many of the women also developed friendships playing on the AAU circuit. Most of their conversations have nothing to do with basketball. They talk about boys, movies, and life. Although they always do compliment each other on their games.
"We talk about life and silly things," Prince said. "If someone was to read the text conversation, they would say, 'What was the point of that conversation?' We are silly like that."
Charles and Prince's friendship has blossomed over the years despite a fierce high school rivalry between their schools.
"She's like family to me, she comes to my house, I go to hers," Charles said.
After Prince scored a career-high 33 points against UConn to hand the Huskies' their first loss, the two were texting during the postgame press conference.
"It was hard, because we played each other. She was feeling like I was the reason they lost," Prince said with a laugh.
When the two were freshmen last year, they would constantly text each other, talking about pretty much everything but basketball, except when Rutgers made the Final Four. Prince couldn't resist sending her friend a note.
"After we beat them in the [Big East] tournament, she was trying to make it seem like they had the worst game ever," Prince said. "So then she was like, 'Don't worry, because we're going to dance longer than ya'll.' So then when we made it to the Final Four, I had to say something, so I'm like, 'I'm still dancing; where are you?' "
Charles hopes to get the last laugh this year.
"Hopefully, we'll be the last ones dancing," Charles said. "I haven't thought about what I'm going to say, I'm just waiting for the opportunity."
