Basketball has been a driving force in Shannon Dowell’s life from the moment she knew how to walk. It has influenced her family relationships, her friendships and led her to the Mizzou women’s basketball team.
The sport runs in the Dowell family so it was introduced to Shannon at a young age. She learned from her father, John, and older sister, Bryce, who are both extremely passionate about the sport. Shannon would constantly play against her sister in the driveway, pushing the extremely competitive
nature of both athletes. While they have played less and less as they have continued to grow up, both sisters have maintained that competitive edge.
“It probably made me tougher going through that,” Shannon said. “Because eventually, when I won, it was the best thing ever.”
Shannon continues hail Bryce as one of her closest friends, as the two have continued to grow closer as they each get older and mature. The duo presents an interesting dichotomy, as Shannon is considered quite shy while her older sister is more outspoken.
“I feel like we got to bond with Bryce a little bit, which then made Shannon feel more comfortable, because Bryce, just like loves basketball, wants to talk basketball all the time,” Mizzou assistant coach Liza Freundt said. “I think they have a really they’re a lot different, but they have a really special bond, which I think has helped Shannon a lot move into this next level.”
But while Shannon can be viewed as shy on the surface, her true personality comes out the better you know her, as Freundt found out first hand. Freundt was an easy pairing for Dowell through the Missouri Valley Conference as Liza played for Missouri State under Kellie Harper. Since the very beginning the two have clicked, with Dowell now primarily working with Coach Freundt during practices.
“She wants to be coached. She wants to be developed and we have to hold her accountable to it every day,” Freundt said. “I think she’s getting better every single day, it’s just a day-by-day process.”
Freundt is always looking to bring out the best in Shannon, even taking some relatively unconventional approaches. After a particularly rough outing for Dowell from the free-throw line, Freundt added a non-traditional incentive during practice, playing “Kidz Bop” music when she was at the line; a story that Dowell would later retell during a press conference.
“She made me come into the gym and shoot free throws with Kidz Bop music blasting until I figured it out,” Dowell said. “That’s really been the best thing for me.”
“As a coach, you’re trying to think outside the box, something to focus on,” Freundt said. “She was so embarrassed. But, man, I was so proud of her. She took it on like a champ…I think for us it was a bonding moment, we’re gonna do this together, and it’s gonna be okay, and then we’re gonna be better for it, and then we’re gonna laugh about it.”
Getting to the free throw line is a big part of Dowell’s game as she succeeds in taking the ball to the rim and finishing through contact. As a result she leads the team in both free throws made and attempted at 77-97. she is currently shooting 79.4% from the line matching both a high volume with a high efficiency.
Dowell’s game starts as a scorer, currently second on the team with 15.5 points per game. In addition she has done her part on the glass, ranking second on the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. This is primarily done on the defensive side of the ball, keeping the Tigers’ opponents away from as many second-chance opportunities as possible.
However the biggest development to her game has been one of necessity. With the early season injuries to both Averi Kroenke and Saniah Tyler, Mizzou was in desperate need of help at the point guard position; or at the very least ballhandlers. Luckily Dowell has stepped up to the task, working with the ball in her hands more than any other season. While this adjustment has come with some bumps in the road, it has provided plenty of offensive firepower for Mizzou. It has allowed Dowell to grab the defensive rebound on one end, dribble it up the court and then drive into the lane for a quick layup.
“It’s more just getting her comfortable with the ball in her hands [and] more dribbling,” Freundt said. “We just need you to do your job when you’re at the point guard, and get us into offense… I always tell her, as a scorer, you want the ball in your hands.”
Dowell has continued to develop year after year, originally only being recruited by regional skills in the Missouri Valley Conference. She committed to Illinois State out of high school, carving out a major role in her two years as a Redbird.
“I was happy with my choice to go to Illinois State,” Dowell said. “I wouldn’t change anything.”
Her second and final year was a major turning point where she averaged 17.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. While she deeply appreciated her time at Illinois State, Dowell knew it was in her best interest to find a bigger market through the transfer portal. Mizzou was a top contender from the jump, showing a clear interest in her skills and how to make her even better as a player.
“My first time talking to Coach Kellie [Harper], she named three things off rip that she wanted me to get better [at] as a player,” Dowell said. “And I just love that about her is [that there is] always something that I can improve on, she’s never just satisfied.”
She has embraced her role as a Tiger, serving as the team’s second-leading scorer and bringing a toughness that is necessary for SEC success. While a lower body injury had Dowell miss four games in late December and early January, she has looked better with each passing game.
“We’re trying to get her great quality minutes while she’s also helping the team,” Coach Harper said. “Hopefully each game she’s a little bit better, a little bit more comfortable.”
She played her best game since the injury in the team’s first SEC win against Arkansas, scoring 17 points in only 22 minutes on a perfect 6-6 shooting. While she is still limited in practice due to the nagging injury concerns, Dowell still gives everything she has every time she steps on the court.
“When you first come back, you have low loads and you kind of try to figure out a rhythm,” Dowell said after the game. “My teammates and my coaches have been very supportive and just constantly just infusing good energy into me. So I think that’s really been great for me.”
Dowell and the rest of the Tigers will now look for their first SEC road win of the season against Florida in their next game at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Gainesville. The game will be available to watch on SEC Network+ through the ESPN app.
