For the UCLA women’s basketball team, there may have been no better selection for captain than sophomore Erica Tukiainen.
Tukiainen serves as a bridge between younger and older players on the team, exudes calm, confidence and strength, and knows all about adjustment, which has become a constant theme for the team this season.
“She is the face of UCLA women’s basketball,” coach Kathy Olivier said, “She’s a great athlete, a great person and a great student.”
Tukiainen has found success despite the difficulty of moving to the U.S. from Finland and adjusting to college. After moving to the U.S. in high school, she won California State MVP honors and lettered in three other sports at Windward High School in Los Angeles. Since arriving at UCLA, she has placed on the Dean’s Honor Roll list every quarter as a pre-med student.
“I try to work really hard on and off the court,” Tukiainen said. “Hopefully, we’ll be talking about Dr. Tukiainen in the next 10 years.”
The roots of Tukiainen’s success can be found in her native Finland, where basketball has a different emphasis than here in the U.S.
Tukiainen recounted how, as a child, she and other teammates were assigned journals and basketball books to read and study.
“(I) became a student of basketball, rather than having it just be a hobby,” she said.
Tukiainen moved to the U.S. in her teens and enrolled at Windward, where she averaged 18.5 points and 11 rebounds per game and won first-team all-league and second-team all-CIF as a freshman.
“When I moved (to the U.S.), one of the major adjustments I made was becoming serious about basketball,” Tukiainen said.
After a stellar career at Windward ““ during which she won CIF MVP, league MVP and a state championship ““ Tukiainen accepted a scholarship offer from UCLA. Adjusting to college life initially presented some difficulties.
“Mostly it was the combination of balancing school and the basketball schedule,” she said. “There’s obviously not as much time to socialize. Then, on the court, adjusting the strength and speed of the game on the college level was tough.”
This year, however, Tukiainen has a newfound confidence. She recently tied her career high with 12 points at Washington State.
“The biggest difference after my first year was knowing what to work on, as far as weaknesses and strengths,” Tukiainen said. “I’m more comfortable on the court, and being more confident on the court makes you fearless.”
“She worked really hard in the off-season,” Olivier said. “She leads by example, and the other players on the team respect her for her work ethic.”
The additional confidence has assisted Tukiainen in the her role on the team as co-captain with senior Lindsey Pluimer.
“I bring composure on the court,” Tukiainen said. “It’s focus and bringing inner passion and calm to the court. These younger players are so explosive and talented, but occasionally we lose control. Most importantly, I try to bring positivity to the team.”
Part of her ability to remain composed on the court and steady her younger teammates can be attributed to her age. Tukiainen recently turned 21, and according to Olivier, her maturity has been instrumental in helping the team.
When asked if the role change from leading scorer to a more team-oriented role was difficult, Tukiainen responded that it was necessary.
“It forced me to see what I need to work on to take my game to the next level and get motivated,” she said.