Each week, we’ll offer a preview of what to expect from each member of the defending National Champion UConn Huskies roster.
Kia Nurse
Sophomore G
6’0
Background:
Trivia: Other than Breanna Stewart (native of Syracuse), what’s the best thing about Canada?
If you guessed Kia Nurse, you’re absolutely correct. In seventh grade, Nurse set a goal for herself: to one day play basketball at UConn*.
Before coming to Storrs, she won all sorts of things with strange abbreviations, like when she won the gold with St. Thomas More (not THAT St. Thomas More) at the AAAA OFSAA championship. Twice. She was also a member of Team Canada’s FIBA U16 and U17 teams and averaged double figures in the 2013 FIBA Americas championship, where Canada finished second. She followed that up this summer by scoring 33 points to lead Canada past the United States in the Pan Am Games.
Oh, and her brother is Darnell Nurse, a top prospect for the Edmonton Oilers. Oh, and her uncle is Donovan McNabb.
* according to Wikipedia
Last year:
There’s not much more you could have asked out of the freshman. She won the 2015 AAC freshman of the year, an award given annually to UConn’s best newcomer, and was AAC freshman of the week twice. She started all but three games, averaging 10.2 points and shooting 41 percent from three. In addition to her numbers, Nurse earned the reputation of being tireless and fearless — traits that Geno Auriemma jokingly credited to her playing hockey back home. In terms of how her first year stacked up in the storied history of the UConn women’s basketball program, Nurse ranked:
- 10th all-time in scoring for a freshman with 399 points
- 9th all-time in assists for a freshman with 108
- 9th all-time in steals for a freshman with 55
What to expect:
It’s not a bold statement to say she should start from day one this year. It’s also possible that we’ll see more than the normal freshman-to-sophomore progression from Nurse, as she spent another summer playing for Canada against elite competition. Though she won’t lead the team in scoring (save maybe an outburst or two), she’s the type who will do just about everything to help her team win, whether it’s defense, finding the open teammate or hitting a clutch three. As a bonus, Tyler reports that she is an absolute delight to talk to:
4. Kia Nurse is hilarious and if you’re on campus, you should probably try to be her friend.
— A Dime Back (@ADimeBack) October 17, 2015
Guess at stats:
| 26.3 MPG | 44.8% FG | 40.2 3PT% | 1.4 SPG | 11.0 PTS |
