TOWSON, Md. – After graduating in May 2014, Towson University women's basketball alum, Tanisha McTiller, traveled to Portugal for the opportunity to continue her basketball career. McTiller signed with the Lousada AC team, located in Northern Portugal. Along with Cheshi Poston who played at the University of Arizona, she is one of only two Americans on the roster. McTiller has appeared in three of the team's first four games and is averaging 22.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She tallied 26 points, four rebounds and two assists in her debut for Lousada and added 25 points, five rebounds and five steals in a game against Olivais. McTiller is leading the league, Liga Femina, in scoring.
 
Before she departed for Portugal, McTiller sat down to talk about the chance to go overseas and more.
 
Q: Tanisha, how excited are you for the opportunity you have to play overseas? 
A: I am very excited about the opportunity to go overseas and continue to play basketball. I thought about doing some different things, as I ultimately want to start a career in which I can work with kids, but after a lot of thought I realized that I'm not quite ready to put down the basketball yet.
 
Q: Where have you decided to begin your professional basketball career? 
A: After considering several options, I am going to be playing my first year of professional basketball in Portugal. I've done my research and discovered that Portugal has a great team and they play in a very competitive league so I'm excited for the new challenge.
 
Q: What did you learn in your senior year that you think will help you in Portugal? 
A: Throughout my entire career at Towson I got the opportunity to play for some great coaches and I learned a lot. In my senior year with Coach G I really learned the importance of defense and paying attention to detail. Coach G is a very defensive-minded coach and on the offensive end she is extremely detail-oriented, which won us a lot of close games. I know I have been fully prepared for all of the challenges I will face at the next level.
 
Q: After leading the CAA in scoring this past year (19.4 ppg), earning First-Team and All-Defensive Team honors, and leaving your mark all over the record books, what goals have you set for yourself at the next level? 
A: You know, I was able to accomplish a lot at Towson as an individual player but the one thing I didn't achieve was winning a championship. That is where my unfinished business comes in as a player. The personal awards and recognition never really meant much to me so I hope that in Portugal I can help my team to have a successful season, break some records of our own, and win a championship. And I also look forward to watching as Towson wins their championship, too.
 
Q: What advice can you give to younger players who wish to continue their careers at the professional level? 
A: Work hard. The key to being great is to always outwork your opponents. It's easy to go to practice and work hard but real growth comes in what kind of extra work you're putting in. Playing in college isn't for everyone and I know playing professionally isn't either. It's a lot of hard work that not everyone is willing to put in. It's also important to always listen to your coaches. I learned that even when I didn't understand at the time or even disagreed, my coaches always had my best interests at heart. Anything is possible if you're all in.
 
Q: What's the one thing you think you'll miss most while you're in Portugal? 
A: My family, my Towson basketball family, my friends and bacon. I really hope they have good bacon in Portugal.