Hughes spent much of the past year in her home state of Oregon coaching an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) squad named Team Concept, based in Portland.

The 6-2 guard/forward was a proven 3-point threat for the Women of Troy who could also play in the post and crash the boards. Hughes finished her career with the fifth-best single-season 3-point field goal percentage of 40.9 when she drained 18-of-44 from beyond the arc in 2007-08 under Trakh.

During her 2009-10 senior campaign at USC, Hughes started 30 of 31 games for the Women of Troy, averaging 26.4 minutes per game.  Hughes averaged 7.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in her final season. She was second on the team in rebounds, third in points scored and third in 3-point field goals made as a senior. The four-year letterwinner led the team in scoring twice and was the leading rebounder on nine occasions.

Hughes was a team captain as a junior and appeared in all 32 games with 18 starts.

She led the team in defensive rebounds with 3.8 per game while averaging 4.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Hughes opened the season with back-to-back, double-digit rebounding efforts with 11 and 13 vs. Charlotte and Milwaukee, and was named to the Wolfpack Invitational All-Tournament Team for her efforts. She led team in rebounding in seven games.

As a sophomore, Hughes battled a foot injury while appearing in 18 games. She averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and led the team in 3-point shooting percentage, going 18-of-44 (.409) to lead the team.  During her freshman season, Hughes started once and played in 18 games as a true freshman but was sidelined for 12 games with a stress fracture in her foot, returning on Jan. 18.  Hughes averaged 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game and played 13.2 minutes per game in her first season at USC.

At Southridge High School in Beaverton, Ore., Hughes lost only five games in three years. She averaged 10 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 2.9 spg as a senior to help Southridge win the 4A state title and finish the season ranked No. 6 in the nation by USA Today. As a junior, Hughes averaged 12.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.9 spg and 2.4 apg, when Southridge went 29-0, won the state title and finished ranked No. 22 in the nation.

Hughes was named to the All-Oregon 4A first team by the Portland Oregonian and recognized with All-Oregon 4A State Tournament first team honors in 2006. She also received All-State first team honors in 2005 and second team honors in 2004. Additionally, Hughes was invited to the U.S. Under-20 National Team Trials while at Southridge.