SAN ANTONIO – Damara Allen enjoys observing the world through her own lens.
The 5-foot-10 freshman guard for UTSA’s 18-3 women’s basketball team who aspires to be a professional sports photographer and videographer, Allen is most comfortable working hard behind the scenes. But her high-level basketball background, coupled with her trademark competitiveness has brought Allen into the spotlight in her rookie season with the Roadrunners.
“Damara loves photography and to want to be behind a camera and look at the art of things is something special that you don’t see in a lot of kids her age,” said Jamie Carey, UTSA’s associate head coach who directly instructs the team’s guards. “She comes from a place of listening and, in a world with a lot of voices, I think it’s really unique to have that.”
In a society driven by social media influencers, Allen’s interest in working in the creative realm came from quite the opposite perspective. It originated from an interest in capturing special moments for others. A communications major in UTSA’s College of Liberal and Fine Arts, she has taken a particular interest in the work done by the Rowdy Creative team covering the Roadrunners’ student-athletes.
“I never really got pictures at my high school, so I wanted to take pictures for people who never got them,” Allen said. “That’s how I got an interest in that. I’d like to do what the Rowdy Creative team is doing and take it farther after my basketball career.”
Allen’s motivation to pursue her passion for photography and videography epitomizes what she brings to the court as a teammate.
“I think it speaks to her character and who she is,” Carey said. “She’s kind of sitting behind the lens right now and she’s going to find herself in front of it just by what she does every single day. I think that’s a little bit poetic for her.”
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As quickly as Allen first came on UTSA’s radar, she just as rapidly became a top target for the Roadrunners.
UTSA head coach Karen Aston and Carey were in Dallas, attending a club basketball event in the spring of 2023 when they first saw her play. Derek Griffin, head coach of Allen’s Hardwood Elite team and a long-time connection of Carey, pointed out his accomplished pupil.
“I went to sit on the baseline at her next game,” Carey said. “I texted Karen and said, ‘You might want to come look at this kid.’ She had a lot of the things that Karen appreciates in recruiting in terms of motor, athleticism, being able to defend and her competitive spirit. We decided we wanted her pretty much that day.”
Aston observed all of those traits when she watched Allen play and knew she would be a perfect fit at UTSA.
“Immediately, I thought she fit our style of play and I just loved everything about the way she played the game,” Aston said. “Everybody that we spoke to spoke so highly of her. We attacked her pretty hard in the recruiting process because I thought she was a great fit.”
Allen was equally drawn to the Roadrunners and felt an instant connection with the coaches and her future teammates.
“The thing that interested me the most about UTSA was definitely the coaching staff and how involved they were with my recruiting process,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for the coaches and I really vibed with the team. I like the environment in San Antonio.”
Players who have experienced being part of a winning team culture have always been particularly appealing to Aston, who has long been hailed as one of the nation’s top recruiters. A prospect’s capacity to be a great teammate and contribute to team success are perhaps an even more critical indicator of her future collegiate success than individual accolades.
With Hardwood Elite, Allen led her team to the 2023 Adidas National 17U Championship. As a high school player at Cherokee Trail in Aurora, Colo., Allen propelled her team to the state semifinals and earned first-team All-State accolades.
“Being part of a good high school system and filtering through a very good club system, she was able to understand what it takes to play at a high level where she was in that moment,” Aston said. “Some of that is her personality – she’s a high achiever. But she’s also been fortunate to have been in those systems where they expect to win.”
The ability to play on big stages has been particularly valuable for Allen as she navigates her freshman season at UTSA.
“Definitely being in the spotlight and also being under a lot of pressure has helped me in the long run,” Allen said. “Coach Derek pushed me a lot. He was on me a lot about defense and how things were going to be in college. That helped me and I feel like I was well prepared before coming here.”
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Basketball first entered Allen’s life as an attempt by her parents, Devaron and Michelle, to help their daughter make friends and be less introverted. That she had a natural propensity for the sport was a bonus.
“It’s actually funny,” she said. “My parents put me in it in second grade because I was really shy and didn’t talk to a lot of people. I just happened to be really good at it.”
From eighth grade until 11th grade, Allen also competed in track & field. She was a two-time regional qualifier in the long jump. Skills that she learned from the track were beneficial in accelerating her progress on the basketball court.
“The reps of track footwork and speed helped me,” Allen said. “As a jumper, jumping high and being athletic has helped me a lot in basketball.”
Many of Allen’s UTSA teammates were also multi-sport athletes growing up. It’s a trait that Aston feels extends far beyond the skill development that takes place in other sports.
“It’s competition,” Aston said. “If they’re always competing at something, then that’s what their mindset is. Especially if you’re in the high school environment that she was – they expected to win. She was always in a competitive spirit, she didn’t spend months turning off her competitive juices. She always has them turned on.”
The desire to win that Allen displays each day in practice is elite, according to Carey.
“I think her competitive spirit is really special,” said Carey, a fellow Colorado native. “She’s serious about what she’s doing. From a culture perspective, you can’t ask for anything more. Her coachability has been fantastic.”
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As the UTSA women’s basketball team enters the stretch run of the 2024-25 season, Allen – who has played in 20 games with five starts – is prepared to contribute in any way her team needs her.
She arrived in San Antonio with only one expectation of herself – to compete. That trait has allowed her to become an important contributor for the Roadrunners as they pursue their ultimate goal of an American Athletic Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.
“I just came here knowing that I had to work hard, no matter the outcome,” Allen said. “It’s been very exciting. I’m happy to be here with my teammates on the journey. But the job’s not finished. I’m very blessed that I’m in this position and have this opportunity.”