Diary Entries  9/2 - Ortal Oren  8/28 - Lisa Willis  8/21 - Emma Tautolo  8/13 - Julia Pitts  8/6 - Nikki Blue  7/28 - Sissy Pickett  7/22 - Gennifer Arranaga  7/18 - Jamila Veasley  2002 Archives

Note: Nikki Blue is a sophomore guard on the UCLA Women's Basketball Team. One of the top freshmen in the nation a year ago, she earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors and was also a first-team selection to the Pac-10's All-Freshman team. Blue averaged 16.6 points per games in 2002, the fourth-best figure ever by a Bruin freshman, and set a school single game scoring record for UCLA freshmen with 35 points against Washington. She started all 29 games for the 18-11 Bruins and ranked fifth in the Pac-10 conference in scoring, 18th in rebounding (5.5), sixth in assists (3.55), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.08) and second in steals (2.69).

August 6, 2003

Hi, everybody! Welcome to my diary of my summer.

I hope everyone's summer was as fun and safe as mine was. Now that the summer is almost over, I'd like to share with you how it went. Enjoy!

First off, I'd like to tell you how glad I am to be a Bruin. I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many positive up-beat people. I wish that you all could be in my shoes for just a day, so that you could experience the feeling of being a UCLA student-athlete.

My summer vacation was awesome! Unlike most of my teammates, I moved back home for the summer. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love going home to Bakersfield. "The Fields" (a nickname for Bakersfield) is where I was born and raised and where my entire family lives. My family members are the most important people in my life, so being around them on 4th and P Street (my block) this summer was really special.

In Bakersfield, I would relax in one of my auntie's houses all day and wait for the 100 degree-plus weather to cool off. In the evenings, my friend SLOP and I worked out so that I would stay in shape. Then afterward we would sometimes go to Cold Stone and eat ice cream. Yummy, cherry cake double-take!

Every weekend, I would come back to Los Angeles and play in the Say No League (a college basketball summer league). I was on a team with some of my future teammates, including three of the freshmen. We had a great time playing together. What tops it all off is that we won first place in the league. Look out Pac-10 'cause here we come!

My favorite part of the summer was being able every day to see my most favorite, number one best friend in the world ? my mom. During the school year, it's hard for me to see my mom as often as I would like (even though she never misses a game). This summer, I got to see her and my little brother every day.

I recently moved back to LA to attend summer school, and I already miss my family. But the good thing about it is that I get to be with my other family, my teammates. My sisters (my teammates) are the best group of classy young ladies I know, and I love them! Right now, our team is in our summer strength and conditioning session. We are looking better and better every day. The conditioning part is very hard, but to be the best, we know we have to fight through it.

If you are reading this and have not purchased season tickets, you are missing out already. Our team this year is going to blow Los Angeles away with the talent that we have. I suggest that you get your tickets now because by the time the season comes, there may not be any left ? Yes, we are that good!

Well, thanks for reading my diary, and I hope to see you at our games this year. Go Bruins!

Love,

Nikki Blue #32