The annual Los Angeles Summer Showcase, previously known as the
Women’s Say No Classic, has been a staple for UCLA
women’s basketball players during the summer.
But, before Nikki Blue, Lisa Willis, Emma Tautolo, Noelle Quinn,
Amanda Livingston and Shaina Zaidi even set foot on the court, they
received notice that Division I athletes were not allowed to
participate in the league this summer .
Director Rhonda Windham was not available for comment, but UCLA
coach Kathy Olivier received information on the situation.
“Apparently the league didn’t fill out the papers
needed to make the league official for Div. I athletes,”
Olivier said. “Because the NCAA did not receive the papers,
the NCAA did not sanction the league.”
When word got through to the would-be Summer Showcase athletes,
the news was a surprise.
“We all signed up thinking we were going to play,”
Zaidi said. “But when we heard that the league was cancelled,
we didn’t know what we were going to do.”
Many athletes, including a host of UCLA players, use the summer
league as a tune-up for the regular season. With licensed officials
on site, the league is as close to what players can expect during
the regular season.
“It kind of ruined my summer,” Quinn said.
“I’m upset. The league was a place for me to play
against other players and gel with my teammates.”
Despite the news, Olivier is not the least bit concerned that
her players might get rusty over the summer.
With local gyms and the Wooden Center available, the Bruins will
still have a chance to hone their games.
“This group is very basketball oriented,” Olivier
said. “In year’s past, I worried about my team during
the summer, but with this group I’m not.
“They look to play every chance they get.”
Though this league might not affect the current Bruin players,
the incoming class of Lindsey Pluimer and Lauren Pedersen, who are
eligible to play in the league, may suffer by not being able to
play with future teammates.
“Last season the league helped me a lot in getting to play
with my teammates and other similar athletes,” Livingston
said. “Getting that intensity is a lot different than playing
against your own teammates.”
If the Los Angeles Summer Showcase files the proper papers, Div.
I players will be allowed to play next summer.
But, for now, the Bruins will have to find a different
outlet.