STARKVILLE, Miss. -- These should be happy times for LaToya Thomas, an All-American who leads her conference in scoring and helped put Mississippi State in the top 10 for the first time.

Instead, she added two more sets of initials to her basketball shoes: tributes to her sister and nephew, who were killed in a car wreck in December near Waco, Texas.

Thomas already had "SJT'' written on her sneakers to honor her mother, Sandra Joyce Thomas, who died when LaToya was 9.

"I'm just handling it like anybody else,'' Thomas said. "It's been hard, but I've been handling it.''

Her nephew, 14-year-old Quintarius Joseph, died instantly when the vehicle her sister was driving flipped after being struck by an 18-wheeler. Cassandra Thomas, 32, was hospitalized for a week. The day before LaToya was to visit her sister, Cassandra died.

"Her sister wanted to see her play,'' said Mississippi State guard Renea Jones, Thomas' best friend on the team. "She knew she couldn't stop playing. She did it for her sister.''

Thomas, a 6-foot-2 senior forward, has been one the nation's most dynamic players the past four years. She is in the midst of her best season, averaging 25.6 points, which ranks third in the nation. She could become the first player to win the SEC scoring title four times.

"Most players at her level have taken distinctive steps to get there, but she was scoring 29 points in games as a freshman,'' said Georgia coach Andy Landers, who is in his 23rd season. "That makes her different than almost anyone who's ever played in this league.''

The Lady Bulldogs are a small team, so Thomas has to play the post, often matching up against taller players. It makes no difference. Her quick feet and strong upper body compensate.

If it gets crowded in the paint with the double- and triple-teams, she can step outside and hit mid-range jump shots with consistency and 3-pointers with improving frequency. When guarded on the perimeter, she shows off the best part of her game.

"I just feel comfortable facing up to the bucket and driving,'' she said. "That's my favorite thing to do.''

Remarkably, the Lady Bulldogs (22-6) had never even been ranked before December 1999. They've been in 43 of 69 polls since, and much of the credit goes to Thomas.

She has become a more versatile player this year. She passes and defends better, practices harder and has even become more vocal.

"LaToya has matured a lot both on and off the court,'' Mississippi State coach Sharon Fanning said. "She has accepted responsibility. She's communicating better with the team. She's become a better leader. Her work ethic has picked up in the classroom. She's been a great teacher for the young players.''

Thomas has 2,878 points -- ninth on the NCAA Division I career list and third in the SEC. With the SEC and NCAA tournaments ahead, she has a chance to catch LSU's Joyce Walker, who is No. 2 in the SEC at 2,906. Former Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw is No. 1 at 3,025, which Thomas might be able to reach with a long postseason run.

Thomas is projected as one of the first selections in the WNBA draft, but she hasn't given that much thought.

"I really don't look ahead,'' she said. "That's the type of person I am. I take everything one day at a time, one step at a time.''