Features

It’s a good thing Cal has some outstanding undergraduate players, because the last home game of the season is Saturday, and the seniors will be moving on. American players, including the talented La Tasha O’Keith, will presumably stay in the United States, but three of Cal’s best are from other countries, and two are due to graduate. Guard Nihan Anaz plans to return to her native Turkey, where she is on the roster to play for the Turkish National team. Basketball in Turkey? NBA player Hidavet Turkogla told a reporter, “you should see the young players in Turkey! They are amazing.” 

Anaz did indeed play for her high school, and was offered a scholarship to come to the States to play for South Carolina. After an additional year in Texas, she came to Cal. Don’t miss the chance to see this player! She has led the team in points and rebounding, and was most valuable player on her high school’s world championship team.  

“I wanted to come to Cal,” she smiled. “I like the coaches and players. And the place, the atmosphere; it reminds me of home. San Francisco kind of looks like Istanbul.”  

Before the recent tragic death of teammate Alisa Lewis knocked the team out of stride, Anaz was averaging over 15 points per game. In one game I attended, I saw her make a smooth, accurate pass that was as graceful as ballet; the image is still in my mind. 

“Nihan Anaz can do everything on the floor,” affirms Caren Horstmeyer, the energetic and attentive coach battling to hold her team together emotionally after the sudden death of Lewis, presumably from bacterial meningitis. “Class started the very next day (after Lewis’ death); the players were grieving. We haven’t been playing like we were (Cal lost the next nine games), but the community support is still there.”  

Women’s games tend to have smaller crowds than the men’s, but this team has drawn crowds of more than 3,000, especially when they play Stanford, another excellent team and Cal’s historical rival. The Straw Hat band plays for every game, and there are cheerleaders and mid-game activities, usually by children, and the enthusiasm is impressive. (I always intend to bring earplugs but always forget, and end up stuffing bits of napkins into my ears.)  

At practice on Tuesday, another senior from another country, Olga Volkova, was playing without the knee brace she needed in January after a second surgery. She too was offered scholarships to come to the United States, and chose to come to Cal. “I like it here; the academics, and the coaches.”  

Along with three of her teammates, she has been honored for academic achievement while on the team. “These girls are studying in a foreign language!” marvels Coach Horstmeyer, clearly proud of the high academic standing of her players. Volkova, who is from Kiev, Ukraine, began playing when she was just 9 years old. Alexander Volkov, who played for the Atlanta Hawks, is her cousin, and his friendship with Sarunas Marciulionis brought Olga to the United States.  

When a coach saw her practicing 3-point shots far from the basket, she pointed out, “Olga! You’re 6’4”—you don’t need 3-pointers! Work closer to the basket.” The top 3-point shooter is in fact the 5’6” guard Kristin Iwanaga from Santa Clara, California. Her percentages put her in the top of the league, and she has been honored academically as well.  

The coach is hoping that her resilient team will be up to the challenges this week from the hard-driving teams of UCLA and USC. UCLA has many strong players, including one from Israel, Ortal Oren, who scored 11 points in 22 minutes against Fresno State. But Cal may be the only university women’s team with three players from outside America on their first string. Cal has always recruited players from other countries, but last September was the first time Horstmeyer went to Istanbul to scout a player who is 6’6” tall. After Volkova leaves, the next tallest player is Emmelie Geraedts from the Netherlands. Just a freshman, she gained experience playing with older players when she was the youngest member of the Dutch national team. She is 6’2” and a local sportswriter remarked. “She’s got some moves.” She also has avid support from her parents, who wake up at 4 a.m. in the Netherlands to catch her games on the Internet.  

Geraedt’s parents are in California for the first time to watch their daughter play the last two home games here in Berkeley this week. I asked Geraedt her how she likes Berkeley. “It’s great; I love it!” 

That’s how I felt when I arrived at UC in 1960. Women’s basketball then was half court; our only audience was my boyfriend Kelly; all of us were from America; and at 5’6” I was one of the tall girls. When I told Volkova that, she smiled down at me, “Times are different; things have really changed.” 

Practice ended, but two seniors stayed late: La Tasha O’Keith worked on her layups, and Olga Volkova practiced pivoting. Turning, catching, shooting, pivoting, without her knee brace. 

The last game is Saturday at 2 p.m. at Haas Pavillion on Bancroft. Children and senior citizens are admitted free.f