PeaceLoveBasketball: Carmen Cruz on Connection, Team Culture and Finding Her People
I was eager to talk to Carmen Cruz, an athlete at the University of Puget Sound, thinking that an interview with an incoming freshman would give a good perspective for young readers. A peek into the first few months of college when things can be new and exciting, and also overwhelming. Especially as an athlete. And what I found in Carmen, was a young woman who was prepared for the change. Maybe not knowingly, but I sensed a strength in her to find the positive, in any situation. When we spoke, she was hoping to finally be cleared to practice again after having sustained a concussion earlier in the season. But, when I asked her about the time she’d spent off the court, and the scrimmage that she’d missed, she wasn’t too concerned, her focus was on her new team, how well they had played, and the future they all had together.
In high school Carmen was one of the top 3-point shooters in Washington State, making fifty 3-point baskets in her final season at West Seattle High School. She averaged 13.4 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists per game and 2.5 steals per game her senior year and played AAU with Friends of Hoops.
UPDATE: Since our interview UPS has had two games, and Carmen got to play. The team didn’t come away with wins, but they are a young team, and this is preseason, so I’m looking forward to watching them grow. In the first contest, Carmen scored 16 points, and had 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 assist in 18 minutes against Ripon College. Then two days later she went 4 of 5 from the field, 2 of 2 from the free-throw line, and finished with 13 points versus Christopher Newport University, the 9th ranked NCAA […]
PeaceLoveBasketball: Playing Overseas, Lydia Giomi Finds Self-Confidence and a True Connection to the Game
Photo credit: Luis Garcia Rodriguez
After chatting with Lydia Giomi about her life as a professional basketball player for Ensino, in Lugo, Spain, and diving into her past as a high school and college athlete, I was surprised to hear that she had often struggled with self-confidence. Having coached Lydia in high school, I know that her basketball skills, as well as her positive attitude, were an integral part of West Seattle’s success, yet throughout most of Lydia’s lifetime she didn’t always feel that she belonged on the court. I’m excited to share more about Lydia’s journey and how her time in Spain has helped her to find balance and build confidence, both on and off the court.
Lydia has been playing professional basketball in Spain for four years. Before playing overseas, she played for the University of Oregon where she was part of three straight Pac-12 regular-season championship teams, and two Pac-12 Tournament Championship teams. She finished her Oregon career with 259 total points (Career shooting percentage 57.9%), 125 rebounds, 29 blocks, 24 steals and 21 assists, helping Oregon to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first-ever Final Four in 2019. She also won a USA Basketball 3×3 National Title in 2019, playing with Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Oti Gildon.
At West Seattle High School Lydia was a Two-Time Metro League MVP. During her senior year she averaged 15.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game and was named to the All-State team. As a junior she averaged 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3 blocks per contest and was named to the 2015 Seattle Times All-Star team and the All-State team. She helped West Seattle go undefeated in league, win the Metro League Tournament Title and go on to place 5th in state. Lydia […]
PeaceLoveBasketball: Jasmine Gayles on Basketball, Life and Giving Back
Photo credit: Chris M. Leung
When I asked Jasmine Gayles about joining the 40-Point Club, with the likes of Caitlin Clark and Mikaylah Williams, she brushed it off. (The 40-Point Club is for players who score more than 40 points in a game during one season). She didn’t brush the question aside in a bad way, but in a way that I understood she had more important things to talk about. And she did. Through our conversation I was inspired by her kindness, her insight into the game, and her desire to give back.
Jasmine is a guard for the University of San Francisco, who was named West Coast Conference player of the week twice this season. Jasmine, a graduate student, is currently the leading scorer for the team, averaging 16.8 points a game. In her 40-point game against Pacific, she added 4 assists, shot 60 percent from the field and made 17 of 22 free throws. The University of San Francisco Dons were picked to place 7th going into the league this season, but finished tied for 3rd and will travel to Las Vegas for the 2024 West Coast Conference Championships.
Before coming to University of San Francisco, Jasmine played two years at Northern Colorado averaging 8 points per game her freshman year and 11.7 points per game her sophomore year. In high school, Jasmine was a 3-year captain at West Seattle High School where she led her team to two district titles, scored over 1000 points and was named West Seattle High School Player of the year.
Jasmine, how does it feel to be part of the 40-point club?
It’s a good feeling of course, accomplishments are fun, but I think the group that I was able to do it with made it so much more special. You don’t get to […]
VANAGON ADVENTURES: Baja and Beyond!
The Blue Bomber is Beautiful again!
She’s back to her original Blue Star splendor.
BLUE BOMBER BAJA ADVENTURE
I haven’t posted about my recent adventures. So here I go. It all started back in March. Jason and I had plans to go to La Paz, Mexico to pick up our Vanagon, the Blue Bomber (See previous post for my solo trip to Mexico). We would spend a week moseying up the Baja Peninsula toward home, or so we thought. Plans changed.
Our drive time was reduced to four days instead of seven. No complaining, however, because the drive time was cut short for good reasons. We had an unexpected trip to Nevis beforehand, and we had plans to watch Cass run at Indoor Nationals in New Mexico, at the end of the trip. Like I said, nothing to complain about, it just rushed our Baja adventure a bit. Still, between time on the road, we managed to squeeze in a lot of sun, sand, sunsets, and sunrises.
But before I tell you about the trip, I’ll give you a peek into the last few weeks. We were like rock stars (rock stars who fly in the cheap seats). I have never been on so many flights in such a short amount of time. Eleven flights (counting layovers). And the two weeks before we left, Jason and I had Covid (twice in a row). Twenty days, gone. That being said, flying seemed a little less stressful after having Covid. Vaccinated, masked, and with a natural immunity boost, I was ready to travel.
DAY 1: BAJA ROADTRIP
We got four hours of sleep the night before we flew to Mexico. Then after a two-hour car ride to La Paz, we were ready to see the Blue Bomber. A giant gate opened and there she was, late […]
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PeaceLoveBasketball: Carmen Cruz on Connection, Team Culture and Finding Her People
I was eager to talk to Carmen Cruz, an athlete at the University of Puget Sound, thinking that an interview with an incoming freshman would give a good perspective for young readers. A peek into the first few months of college when things can be new and exciting, and also overwhelming. Especially as an athlete. And what I found in Carmen, was a young woman who was prepared for the change. Maybe not knowingly, but I sensed a strength in her to find the positive, in any situation. When we spoke, she was hoping to finally be cleared to practice again after having sustained a concussion earlier in the season. But, when I asked her about the time she’d spent off the court, and the scrimmage that she’d missed, she wasn’t too concerned, her focus was on her new team, how well they had played, and the future they all […]
PeaceLoveBasketball: Playing Overseas, Lydia Giomi Finds Self-Confidence and a True Connection to the Game
Photo credit: Luis Garcia Rodriguez
After chatting with Lydia Giomi about her life as a professional basketball player for Ensino, in Lugo, Spain, and diving into her past as a high school and college athlete, I was surprised to hear that she had often struggled with self-confidence. Having coached Lydia in high school, I know that her basketball skills, as well as her positive attitude, were an integral part of West Seattle’s success, yet throughout most of Lydia’s lifetime she didn’t always feel that she belonged on the court. I’m excited to share more about Lydia’s journey and how her time in Spain has helped her to find balance and build confidence, both on and off the court.
Lydia has been playing professional basketball in Spain for four years. Before playing overseas, she played for the University of Oregon where she was part of three straight Pac-12 regular-season championship teams, and two […]
PeaceLoveBasketball: Jasmine Gayles on Basketball, Life and Giving Back
Photo credit: Chris M. Leung
When I asked Jasmine Gayles about joining the 40-Point Club, with the likes of Caitlin Clark and Mikaylah Williams, she brushed it off. (The 40-Point Club is for players who score more than 40 points in a game during one season). She didn’t brush the question aside in a bad way, but in a way that I understood she had more important things to talk about. And she did. Through our conversation I was inspired by her kindness, her insight into the game, and her desire to give back.
Jasmine is a guard for the University of San Francisco, who was named West Coast Conference player of the week twice this season. Jasmine, a graduate student, is currently the leading scorer for the team, averaging 16.8 points a game. In her 40-point game against Pacific, she added 4 assists, shot 60 percent from the field […]
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