Courtney Ekmark keeps a childhood photo of herself and Sun Devils women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne from one of Turner Thorne's summer basketball camps.
"I was half her size then," Ekmark said, laughing.
They grow so fast.
In the 15 or so years that have passed since that photo, Ekmark has helped lead Phoenix St. Mary's High School to three straight Division I state titles, been named Arizona's 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year, won two NCAA titles at Connecticut, and transferred back to ASU where she played last season and is now preparing for her senior year.
If you're getting the idea that Ekmark rarely sits still, you're getting the right idea. On top of the challenge of playing Division I basketball for a premier program, Ekmark may be the first Sun Devil athlete in any sport also to juggle law school. She just completed her first year as a student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and she is now enrolled in summer courses.
"It's always been in my head because both of my parents are attorneys," Ekmark said. "Growing up around them, I'm used to hearing legal terms in the house. They told me that having a law degree, even if you don't want to practice, will help you for the rest of your life. It makes you think critically about things and I know after my first year of law school that I am completely different in the way I think."
Turner Thorne knew Ekmark wanted this challenge when she transferred to ASU in 2016. The two have maintained a friendship ever since that photo was snapped so long ago. While Ekmark said the dean of the law school, Doug Sylvester, "at first looked at me like I was crazy," Turner Thorne was on board immediately.
"If you think about our program and what we stand for, we're all about that," said Turner Thorne, whose program's GPA and APR scores are regularly among the nation's best. "I always tell them, 'take advantage of getting your education paid for and do as much as you can do.
"She's got two lawyers as parents so that helps with maybe a little extra tutoring at home, but Courtney's biggest strength is her work ethic. She is off the chain with time management and self-care. That's where a lot of people struggle and it does take unbelievable discipline to do what she's doing and perform at a high level, but if anybody could do it, she could."
Ekmark said the law school has been "over-the-top" supportive, helping her schedule classes around practices and games. Because the law school is in downtown Phoenix, Ekmark's days require precise planning. The Sun Devils often have morning shooting from 7-8 a.m., then she goes to class until noon, back to practice from 1-3:30 p.m., before icing, showering, reading a couple hundred pages of homework and going to sleep.
"We have to be on the court for practice at 12:45, which means I eat lunch in the car on the way to Weatherup because I have to get my ankles taped and gear up for practice," she said. "My professors probably think I hate them because when class ends, I sprint out of class so I can make it to practice on time."
Ekmark calls law school her backup plan. Her real hope is to coach after her playing days have ended.
"That's the beauty of a law degree," she said. "It can help you in so many different career paths."
Last season, Ekmark got off to a slow start on the court, but Turner Thorne expected that. Ekmark hadn't played many games in four years. She sat out her senior year in high school while being home schooled. She played limited minutes at UConn for two seasons and suffered a stress fracture in her foot that further limited her. After transferring to ASU, she had to sit out a year per NCAA rules.
"She was one of our leaders in assists (73), she was one of our top rebounding guards (4.5 per game) and toward the end of the preseason she found her shooting touch (9.7 points per game)," Turner Thorne said. "Once she did that she was good."
While Ekmark takes summer law classes in contract drafting, negotiations and criminal procedure, she is also working on moves to combat the increased attention she is garnering from opposing defenses.
"If you can score, they're not going to let you do anything you want to do," Turner Thorne said. "She has taken that to heart by preparing for the level of defense she is going to see in her senior year. She's been in the gym shooting and working on moves. That's who she is and she does a tremendous job of setting the tone for our team."
Ekmark admits the first year of juggling basketball and law school was difficult and tiring, but she hopes the summer courses will ease her schedule this fall.
"It's definitely time management," she said, 'but I always make sure I get my sleep because I know that's huge, and because I have a positive attitude about it, that keeps me going."
Sun Devils women's basketball has a long history of transfers who have made a mark on and off the court, including Amanda Levens, Melody Johnson, Ryneldi Becenti, Sybil Dosty and Lauren Lacey, but Turner Thorne called Ekmark the poster child for what Sun Devil women's basketball is all about.
"To a T, in everything" she said. "In terms of attitude, effort and being the best at everything you do. Not only in law school but on her game, she works really hard to lead by example and be there for others. Two years is going to be too short a time with her."
"I was half her size then," Ekmark said, laughing.
They grow so fast.
In the 15 or so years that have passed since that photo, Ekmark has helped lead Phoenix St. Mary's High School to three straight Division I state titles, been named Arizona's 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year, won two NCAA titles at Connecticut, and transferred back to ASU where she played last season and is now preparing for her senior year.
If you're getting the idea that Ekmark rarely sits still, you're getting the right idea. On top of the challenge of playing Division I basketball for a premier program, Ekmark may be the first Sun Devil athlete in any sport also to juggle law school. She just completed her first year as a student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and she is now enrolled in summer courses.
"It's always been in my head because both of my parents are attorneys," Ekmark said. "Growing up around them, I'm used to hearing legal terms in the house. They told me that having a law degree, even if you don't want to practice, will help you for the rest of your life. It makes you think critically about things and I know after my first year of law school that I am completely different in the way I think."
Turner Thorne knew Ekmark wanted this challenge when she transferred to ASU in 2016. The two have maintained a friendship ever since that photo was snapped so long ago. While Ekmark said the dean of the law school, Doug Sylvester, "at first looked at me like I was crazy," Turner Thorne was on board immediately.
"If you think about our program and what we stand for, we're all about that," said Turner Thorne, whose program's GPA and APR scores are regularly among the nation's best. "I always tell them, 'take advantage of getting your education paid for and do as much as you can do.
"She's got two lawyers as parents so that helps with maybe a little extra tutoring at home, but Courtney's biggest strength is her work ethic. She is off the chain with time management and self-care. That's where a lot of people struggle and it does take unbelievable discipline to do what she's doing and perform at a high level, but if anybody could do it, she could."
Ekmark said the law school has been "over-the-top" supportive, helping her schedule classes around practices and games. Because the law school is in downtown Phoenix, Ekmark's days require precise planning. The Sun Devils often have morning shooting from 7-8 a.m., then she goes to class until noon, back to practice from 1-3:30 p.m., before icing, showering, reading a couple hundred pages of homework and going to sleep.
"We have to be on the court for practice at 12:45, which means I eat lunch in the car on the way to Weatherup because I have to get my ankles taped and gear up for practice," she said. "My professors probably think I hate them because when class ends, I sprint out of class so I can make it to practice on time."
Ekmark calls law school her backup plan. Her real hope is to coach after her playing days have ended.
"That's the beauty of a law degree," she said. "It can help you in so many different career paths."
Last season, Ekmark got off to a slow start on the court, but Turner Thorne expected that. Ekmark hadn't played many games in four years. She sat out her senior year in high school while being home schooled. She played limited minutes at UConn for two seasons and suffered a stress fracture in her foot that further limited her. After transferring to ASU, she had to sit out a year per NCAA rules.
"She was one of our leaders in assists (73), she was one of our top rebounding guards (4.5 per game) and toward the end of the preseason she found her shooting touch (9.7 points per game)," Turner Thorne said. "Once she did that she was good."
While Ekmark takes summer law classes in contract drafting, negotiations and criminal procedure, she is also working on moves to combat the increased attention she is garnering from opposing defenses.
"If you can score, they're not going to let you do anything you want to do," Turner Thorne said. "She has taken that to heart by preparing for the level of defense she is going to see in her senior year. She's been in the gym shooting and working on moves. That's who she is and she does a tremendous job of setting the tone for our team."
Ekmark admits the first year of juggling basketball and law school was difficult and tiring, but she hopes the summer courses will ease her schedule this fall.
"It's definitely time management," she said, 'but I always make sure I get my sleep because I know that's huge, and because I have a positive attitude about it, that keeps me going."
Sun Devils women's basketball has a long history of transfers who have made a mark on and off the court, including Amanda Levens, Melody Johnson, Ryneldi Becenti, Sybil Dosty and Lauren Lacey, but Turner Thorne called Ekmark the poster child for what Sun Devil women's basketball is all about.
"To a T, in everything" she said. "In terms of attitude, effort and being the best at everything you do. Not only in law school but on her game, she works really hard to lead by example and be there for others. Two years is going to be too short a time with her."