Freshman Kia Nurse was understandably nervous during her first NCAA Tournament. Yes, she started 36 games, and best she averaged 10.2 points per game -- and yes, she's a member of Canada's national team. But she's also a 19-year-old playing in arguably the biggest tournament of her young career.
And that experience will serve her well -- particularly her play against Notre Dame in the finals, when her nerves calmed and scored nine points and pulled three rebounds.
“It’s an emotion that’s hard to put into words but it’s definitely an incredible feeling,” Nurse said of UConn's national championship win, via SNY.com's Carl Adamec.
“There was a point in the season that I was inconsistent,” she continued. “I don’t know if I was physically tired or more mentally tired. It’s a matter of getting through it. Right now? I’m ready for my break.”
Nurse will get a much-needed break before rejoining the Canadian national team next month. Over the summer, she'll compete in the Pan-Am Games and the FIBA Americas Tournament.
“If you’ve ever traveled with the national team, it’s amazing when you don’t have to go anywhere,” she said. “Our older players have told me all of the terrible stories of the places that they have gone. They are beyond excited we’re at home and I can only feed off that energy.”
