Former FAMU cheerleader makes NBA All-Star Dance Squad

Shardia Washington, a 2008 and 2010 graduate of Florida A&M University earning bachelor's and master's degrees in occupational therapy, has been selected to Eastern Conference All-Star dance team for NBA All-Star Weekend.  Washington is a member of the Charlotte Bobcats squad.

While at FAMU, she was a member of the FAMU cheerleading squad, an experience the Jacksonville native holds dear to her heart.

“I never thought in a million years that I would make a professional dance team, especially for the NBA. So, just having the opportunity to come out here and represent FAMU and to represent myself, it just means a lot to me,” Washington said.

For several years, the “Lakers Girls” were considered the top dance team in the NBA, but over the last few years, that distinction has been shifted east as Charlotte’s squad was dubbed the league’s best. In a market that is not as big as Los Angeles, New York or Miami, it is quite an accomplishment to be considered the top team. With that comes a complex try-out process for the Lady Cats. It’s a process each dancer must endure annually to make the squad.

This year is only the second time in the history of the NBA All-Star Weekend, that the NBA has selected a spirit squad to perform at All-Star weekend.

While the Charlotte Bobcats will not have a player in the All-Star festivities, they will have Shardia Washington representing the Lady Cats on the Eastern Conference All-Star Dance Team. In just her second season as a member of the team, she was considered the best in the NBA. Washington was submitted by the Bobcats organization as one of three finalists for her team, followed by her ultimate selection to the All-Star squad by the NBA review process.

Washington left for New Orleans on Feb. 12 and returns on Feb. 17. When she landed on Wednesday, she immediately proceeded to the Super Dome for a seven-hour rehearsal. The squad will be performing at virtually every official NBA All-Star Weekend event.

She spent the days leading up to All-Star Sunday preparing herself physically for the dance routines, but mentally for what the opportunity might bring.

According to Washington, knowing the opportunities that may evolve from her performance adds an aura of excitement, coupled with a case of anxiety.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don’t think I’ll fully understand what it’s going to be about until I step out on that court,” Washington said.