Former Auburn women's basketball player Shana Askew Daniels dead at 44

Former Auburn women’s basketball player Shana Askew Daniels died Monday at the age of 44 from brain cancer. The University announced the news Wednesday.

“I’m very saddened to hear of the passing of Shana Daniels,” Tigers women’s basketball coach Johnnie Harris said in a statement. “She was a good friend and supporter of me and of our program. It was evident from talking to her that she loved Auburn University, the Auburn community and Auburn women’s basketball.”

She was married to Auburn men’s basketball director of player personnel Marquis Daniels. Both played at the school during the same time in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Shana Askew Daniels suited up for the Tigers from 1997-2001. She played in 95 games with 68 starts during that time. On the court, she averaged 23.4 minutes per game with 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds.

“She was so proud of the direction the program was heading,” Harris said. “We will miss her coming by practice and the encouraging words she would give to the team. My heart goes out to Marquis and the Daniels family, the Auburn Family, all of her teammates and those that knew and loved her.”

Marquis Daniels went undrafted during the 2003 NBA Draft but managed to stick around in association for a decade. He took a job on the Auburn coaching staff in 2018 as a graduate assistant before earning his promotion to director of player personnel.