Nikki Blue is about to close out her last season in Westwood,
one that has been as clearly defined by her ability to adapt as it
has been by UCLA’s ability to win. Maybe even more so.
Now she is trying to make sure the changes were not in vain.
Blue’s undeniable talents on the court have been
stretched. She came to Westwood as a pre-eminent scorer, the flashy
star who provides the style.
Nearing the end of her UCLA career, Blue has become the
contemplative senior point guard who guides her teammates with
big-sisterly affection, a far cry from the shy persona she embodied
when she stepped onto campus four years ago.
She will be the first to admit the change wasn’t seamless,
but she altered her game and leadership role for the chance to win
something bigger than a scoring title.
“When I came in here, I knew I could score. But I
wasn’t the player I am right now. I have become a true point
guard, who looks to get other people the ball instead of getting
the points myself,” Blue said.
“It hasn’t always been easy to go from scoring 20 or
30 points a game to scoring 10 points because people who
don’t understand the game think I am not playing
well.”
But the changes Blue has made have not always translated into
the type of success she hoped to achieve when she turned down a
scholarship from national powerhouse Connecticut to turn around
UCLA, a once-proud program mired in a slump.
When 21st-ranked UCLA (20-10) takes on 24th-ranked Bowling Green
(28-2) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Blue will only be
making her second appearance in the Big Dance, and has yet to win a
tournament game.
When the senior from Bakersfield takes the court in West
Lafayette, Ind., on Sunday, she will try once and for all to
elevate her basketball team to the level of prominence that she has
received as an individual player.
“Changing my game hasn’t always been easy, but this
is a team sport. To say that I did whatever it takes for us to win
is a no-brainer,” Blue said.
“I chose UCLA because I wanted to be a part of a new
tradition and turn around a program, because anybody can keep
something good going.”
The talent of the Bruins has never been questioned. With Blue,
senior Lisa Willis and junior Noelle Quinn, the team features three
of the most dynamic players in the nation. Blue and Willis are
projected to be high first-round picks in the WNBA draft.
But this is the first time since Blue has been in Westwood that
the women’s basketball team has had such an opportunity.
As a five seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins have a
realistic shot at taking their program to the next level.
It might seem a bit late in Blue’s career, but she thinks
all that she has experienced makes this moment that much
sweeter.
“From becoming the point guard my junior year, to then
taking on more of the load on offense when Noelle was out (with a
torn right meniscus for the second half of last season), to going
back to the point, I have learned to appreciate this
run.”
For all her accomplishments and awards, Blue confesses she is
hungry to win an NCAA Tournament game before she leaves.
“A chance to be back in the tournament and put UCLA
women’s basketball permanently on the map is my reason for
competing,” Blue said. “If we don’t win a
national championship, I will still be proud of this program and
the people on this team, though.”
And that is the difference in Blue now, as opposed to four years
ago. She is more mature. Her competitive nature is what drives her,
but it doesn’t haunt her either.
“Nikki has learned that life does not always go exactly as
you would hope,” said Sabrina Hunter, Blue’s mother.
“But she has no regrets about UCLA, and basketball has only
brought her good things.”
As any mother would rightfully do, Hunter stressed how having
her daughter attend college close to home is more important than a
basketball game.
On Hunter’s birthday, Blue surprised her mother by
appearing on her driveway while the two were talking on the
phone.
“I wouldn’t have had that if Nikki went anywhere
else,” Hunter said.
UCLA coach Kathy Olivier recruited Blue out of West High School
in Bakersfield, and has seen her point guard develop not only as an
athlete but also as a woman.
“She has grown. She has done a much better job of trusting
her teammates on the court,” Olivier said.
So when UCLA won the Pac-10 Tournament in San Jose last week,
Olivier was thrilled to see Blue hugging fans and cutting down the
net.
“You can see it in her face,” Olivier said.
“After all this time, to finally have that momentum ““
she couldn’t have written a better script.”
Blue characterized UCLA’s Pac-10 Tournament title as the
only thing she has ever won.
For her, that was something tangible she could show for the four
years of potential that have come and gone. But the NCAA Tournament
symbolizes something much greater for Blue. A successful tournament
run would overshadow any disappointment the team has
experienced.
“There have been some ups and downs during my career, no
question about that,” Blue said. “So winning now,
ending my career the right way with some tournament wins, would be
perfect.”