Blade is No. 12 on the all-time scoring list for SIUE women's basketball with 1,144 points. She was the third player in school history to pass the 1,000-point plateau. A two-sport athlete, Blade also was a standout in softball having twice led the team in hits and runs batted in. After her playing days, she served as an assistant coach for the SIUE women's basketball team and then moved on to a highly-successful career as a high school coach. She led Carrollton High School to back-to-back state championships in basketball before continuing her career at Edwardsville High School, where her teams have multiple appearances in the state basketball and softball championships. Blade graduated in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and in 1994 with a master's degree in physical education