American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Our strength grows out of our weaknesses.”

Dominique Hunter, 18, a freshman on the SF State women’s basketball team and one of this season's fast rising stars, said she strives to make any weakness into one of her strengths.

Hunter's only weakness is experience, but because she wants to be the best player she demands the basketball and does whatever she can to improve her ball play, said head coach Joaquin Wallace.

“She’s money,” Wallace said. “She reaches down and gets focused and that’s saying a lot about a freshman.”

Number 33 never hesitates to work after practice. When Wallace asks the players if they want to work on skills, without pause Wallace said Hunter would answer, “Okay, coach, let's work.”

“She hasn’t touched the surface to how good she can be,” Wallace said. “I sleep real well knowing I have her on my team.”

The freshman center ranks high on the stat sheet for the 8-9, 5-5 Gators.

In 17 games, Hunter leads the team in field goal percentage .586, and has 28 blocked shots, which is 22 more then the next closest player. She holds the second seat with 173 points scored, averaging 10.2 points, and pulling down 6.3 rebounds a game.

The 6-foot-1-inch center has to consistently battle against juniors and seniors to keep her spot on the court.

“You can’t even tell she’s a freshman because she works that hard,” said senior forward Krystle Mays. “She goes hard all the time, day in and day out. She gives 110 percent.”

The center not only gives 110 percent on the basketball court, but she also gives 110 percent in the classroom.

Hunter, a business management major, finished her first semester of college with a 3.75 GPA and is the first person in her family to attend college.

“I really push myself,” said Hunter, so her family and younger cousins know they can go to college and graduate, too.

“Oh yes, I feel the pressure, but I really don’t want to be a disappointment,” said Hunter on succeeding in school.

With all the pressure, the freshman said that college math is one of her biggest struggles and is determined and focused to make it her strength.

The freshman star’s goal after college is to open her own business, she said. Hunter is unsure of the type of business she will eventually open, but her mom has many ideas and would love to do something that could benefit her whole family.

After juggling college classes, basketball, and a social life Hunter’s focus and drive is what keeps her dreams a reality.

When the team is hanging out, “Domo” is the first person to leave and go study, said freshman forward Morgan Aycox.

“Anything Dominique is not strong at she’s willing to work harder at it,” Aycox said.

“Any weakness she tries to fix it by putting everything out there on the court to make herself a better player. She wants to be a better athlete.”

The down-to-earth freshman has a touch of seriousness, but still knows how to enjoy the college life with her teammates and friends.

“Dominique is someone you can be cool with on and off the court and as a teammate that is something she is good at,” Aycox said.

Hunter has had a fierce competitive attitude since she attended Gateway High School in San Francisco.

Hunter's high school coach Michael Coffino said she used to be an average free throw shooter, but after practice and hard work, the high school star shot percentage significantly increased.

“She is the hardest working player I’ve ever had,” Coffino said. “She is a tenacious player and is tough as nails on the court.”

In high school, Hunter was a four-time team co-captain, a three-time team MVP, the honorable mention All- League player her senior year, made the all-tournament team junior and senior year, and was the San Francisco Chronicle Athlete of the week senior year.

Coffino said her attitude, courage, and character is what makes her unique.

In high school, Hunter lived two hours away in the East Bay city of San Pablo. She would have to take public transportation day and night.

The freshman’s commute was no big deal to her, but she is fortunate to roll out of bed and walk to practice now.

The recruiting process for Hunter from high school to SF State didn’t go as smoothly as most would assume.

Andre Johnson, Hunter’s first cousin, played a major role in Hunter’s recruiting process to SF State.

Johnson knew his cousin had the potential to play college level and felt she wasn’t given the help she deserved, so he decided to take charge.

Her cousin e-mailed Wallace about the high school athlete and wanted him to come watch a game.

Wallace said he was unsure if he would attend due to the mass amounts of player videos and e-mails he receives. However, after checking Hunter’s stats, he decided to go watch her.

Sitting courtside at her game, Wallace did not realize that “Domo” saw him.

“Hunter played her worst game ever,” Wallace said.

The high school star told her family, “I’m never going to play college basketball,” Wallace said.

Johnson said to his cousin, “It doesn’t matter who you play and when you play. You have to always play 100 percent.”

As Wallace was about to write “Domo” off, Johnson e-mailed him again explaining that his cousin was nervous and that she wasn’t playing to her abilities.

Without writing her off, Wallace went to another game, but this time hid in the stands. It wasn’t until a recruiting trip to her home that Wallace offered Hunter a scholarship. Wallace knew she had the capabilities as a player to be worked with.

Now that Hunter is a standout Division II center, Johnson said it didn’t come easy.

She had to work hard to be a starter. After sitting on the bench her first two games. Hunter decided to take charge in her game. Johnson said his cousin worked hard to play at this level. Hunter would run early in the day, shoot free throws, practice rebounds, and work on her inside game.

“Coach Wallace brought a whole lot out of her,” Johnson said.

The budding star might have had a struggle getting to this level, but she challenged any obstacle that came her way, and continues to persevere in school and on the court.

“Now she has turned out to be a leader,” Wallace said. “She works hard and is very bright.”