AUBURN, Ala. – Unique Thompson's love of basketball developed gradually.
"I had to grow into it because I was a girly-girl," said Thompson, who recalls thinking, "'I'm not about to be playing basketball, and getting pushed around.'"
A message from Unique's parents sold her on the sport.
"'You can be good at this,'" she remembers them saying. "Once I realized that I was, I had a major love for the game."
That love can be measured each time Thompson grabs a rebound, something she does 13.4 times per game, ranking No. 2 in the SEC and No. 6 in the country.
"All of it is, "I'm going to get it,' because I know if I box out and I'm actually moving you, you're not going to get it," Thompson said of her prowess on the boards. "I've worked that hard to get it."
Thompson leads the SEC and ranks No. 5 nationally in defensive rebounds with 9.6.
"Her rebounding really helps us a lot and it gets us going," Auburn coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "It gets us in transition. All she has to do now is bring a few friends along with her to help rebound."
On offense, Thompson uses an equation that multiples the value of each rebound.
"If I get them offensively, they can be putbacks," Thompson said. "Five offensive boards will equal 10 points for me."
Thompson averages 14.7 points per game. She's notched double-doubles in five of Auburn's seven games, including season-highs of 19 points and 19 rebounds in a 79-76 win at New Mexico on Nov. 11.
"Rebounding is something that really is God-gifted, but knowing that that's basically my outlet if I'm having a bad game and I can't finish around the rim, I know that rebounding is something I can do," she said. "Whenever I start rebounding and getting on the boards, then other things fall in line for me."
A standout high school player at Faith Academy in Mobile, Thompson averaged 11.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a freshman last season.
She's raised her shooting percentage from 48.3 percent a year ago to 57.4 this season while averaging 30 minutes per game without fouling out.
"It's just a conscious effort of knowing that I can't take the same bad shots I was taking in high school because they were good shots then because you're the best one on your team," she said. "It's just about creating and knowing your role.
"Playing smart is a big thing and it helps us because whenever I realize that if I beat them to the position, then I won't get in foul trouble. It's about beating the offensive person to their position."
At 6-foot-3, Thompson is Auburn's tallest player, along with Abigayle Jackson and Natalie Kelly, height she did not inherit from her mother, Monica.
"My dad is tall, so his side of the family really did give it to me, but mom, she's really short," said Unique, who estimates that she's more than a football taller than her mom.
"My parents come to every game," Unique said. "Even the away games, they're always there."
Thompson and the Tigers will look to improve to 7-1 Thursday at 6 p.m. CT at St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.
"It's a lot of fun knowing that everybody wants to win," she said. "We're all on the same page so I know we're going to get things done."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer