The New York Liberty’s Asia Durr is a hometown hero for some in Atlanta.
The St. Pius X Catholic School graduate from Douglasville was featured in a 2008 Atlanta Dream commercial for the franchise's inaugural season. The voiceover for the video, which shows a 10-year-old Durr dominating a group of boys at pick-up basketball in a park downtown, asks, "Ever wonder what happens to girls like this? They grow up to be women like this."
For Durr, those words were prophetic, predicting a future as a professional.
Durr was drafted to the New York Liberty in April as the No. 2 overall pick. On Sunday when the Dream hosted the Liberty, she returned to Atlanta for her first professional game in her hometown.
“It felt great,” she said. “Playing in my hometown — it’s exciting to be here. I feel like I’m home again.”
Durr started against the Dream and scored 11 points off 5-of-8 shooting. She also grabbed two rebounds with four assists. The rookie, who started her 10th game in 11 appearances with New York, played nearly 32 minutes in front her friends and family gathered in State Farm Arena.
Durr’s parents and siblings were in the stands behind the Liberty bench, decked out in Liberty gear and shirts with Durr’s name. They were joined by a significant Durr-fan club, including some of her former travel-ball teammates and even a former college teammate.
“She’s wanted this for a very, very long time as a small child,” Durr’s mother Audrey said. “So just to see it all pay off. Even though she’s a rookie and has a lot to learn, a lot of growing to do, we’re supporting her a 110 percent.”
Durr was able to visit friends and family in Atlanta Saturday night and said she hoped to get to see them again following the Liberty's 74-58 win.
“I’m a big family person,” she said. “To see all my close family and friends come back out and watch me play, makes me feel good. I’m really thankful for that.”
For those who came to watch, it felt like old times when Durr was growing up, playing in Atlanta or when she would come back to play Georgia Tech in ACC conference games.
At Louisville, Durr led her team to four NCAA March Madness appearances, including a Final Four in 2018 and an Elite Eight run this past year. This year, she was awarded the Basketball Hall of Fame Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for the best shooting guard in the nation.
In her first year with the Liberty, she’s averaged 12.1 points in 11 games.
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