Friday, February 27, 1998
Seniors hope for invitation to Big Dance
FEATURE: Bruins to play last home game, anticipate
tournament
By David Arnold
Daily Bruin Contributor
What does any one really deserve?
Can anybody say that they deserve to get out of life what they
put in?
Do the seniors of UCLA’s women’s basketball team deserve to be
in an NCAA Tournament in appreciation for what they’ve done for the
program?
Seniors Tawana Grimes, Carla Houser, Jamie Oenning and Aisha
Veasley won’t get the answer they desire until March 8, when teams
receive invitations to the Big Dance. The four soon-to-be-alumnae
have four more games left, including their final tip-off at Pauley
Pavilion this Sunday as UCLA hosts Washington.
Four years ago, Kathy Olivier was a rookie head coach, and
Grimes, Oenning and Veasley were her first recruiting class. On
Sunday, the coach may sit in a corner office talking about how her
seniors "pretty much built this program," and the seniors may
remember their first day at UCLA, and realize they have only one
more game left on that campus.
And on March 8, maybe the seniors will agree when they remember
their coach said, "They have success written all over them."
"The tournament is kinda like our reward, our payback," said
Houser. "Since I’ve been here I’ve wanted to go to the tournament,"
said Grimes.
When asked if a Big Dance this year would make up for three
years of being wallflowers, Oenning said, "It doesn’t make up for
it, but it’s nice."
"Just the other day," said Olivier, "I grabbed Tawana and I
said, ‘You know we’ve got four games left, and we’re going to do
this. You guys deserve this.’"
Yet they’re four seniors with one starter between them (Grimes),
so how do they deserve anything?
"They pretty much started the trend of what kind of people we
want in our program," said Olivier, "They do a perfect job of
representing what UCLA women’s basketball is about."
"We don’t need to take credit for that," said Grimes. "as much
as basketball was a good experience, the people that I’ve met and
the friendships I’ve established will be the highlights of my
having gone here."
"They say that adversity builds character, and I think that’s
true for our class," said Oenning. "One thing that has really
impressed me … is that we’re all so different … different
backgrounds, different lifestyles, different families, different
everything."
"That’s the biggest thing that I love about these guys … they
do respect that I’m different," said Houser.
Maybe Houser is different from her classmates; she came to UCLA
after dropping out of James Madison and being spotted by Olivier at
a Friday league game in Long Beach, but that’s not to say she
doesn’t fit in.
"She fit in perfectly the minute she got here, and that says
something about Carla Houser," said Olivier.
Oenning is also lucky to have people who acknowledge her
contributions. "She provides that leadership: she comes in ready to
go every practice," said Olivier. "Her work ethic is something that
people look up to."
Though Grimes, Oenning and Veasley will be back for classes in
the fall, after this season their history with UCLA athletics will
be just that.
"I think we lose a lot of leadership," said Olivier of her
seniors’ departure. When asked what they think the team loses with
their graduation, Houser, Grimes and Oenning perhaps ominously
listed "leadership," "discipline," and "maturity." "There’s no
substitute for maturity," said Oenning, referring to what she calls
"a humble, unselfish group."
If four people can have a collective middle name, "unselfish"
might apply to the seniors. Grimes, recruited as a shooting guard,
has always adapted for the good of the team. This was evident more
than ever last year when she was moved to the point after point
guard Erica Gomez was injured.
"This year is the first year she’s really got to focus on what
Tawana Grimes came here for," said Olivier, "Tawana doesn’t have to
play Miss Everything anymore."
Veasley, too, could be the calendar girl for selflessness. A
starter as a junior, sitting on the bench as a senior, Veasley only
sought to contribute.
"I think this game really celebrates for us, for years of hard
work and contribution," she said.
What hard work will mean for them, they don’t know. Olivier
hopes she’ll see Oenning coaching, Houser playing abroad and
alludes to talking with the WNBA and ABL about the plans of Grimes
and Veasley.
But Grimes said, "I don’t know exactly what I want to do," and
the others are mysteries too. Of only Houser may predictions be
made: "I’ve always wanted to play overseas."
"I think they’re ready to move on, which is kinda sad," said
Olivier, though she added, "They’re probably gonna have more money
than me."
All joking aside, it will be an emotional Sunday in Pauley.
"It’s going to be special because this is the first group of girls
we’ve recruited," acknowledged Olivier.
"I don’t know whether to cry or laugh. I’m a very emotional
person, I know I’m going to be bawling my eyes out," said
Houser.
"It’s not just another game for me," said Veasley, "This is like
the last time I’m going to be playing in front of my family and
friends."
If one deserves to get out of life what one puts in, maybe the
seniors deserve to end their careers where they dreamed they would:
in the NCAA Tournament.
MICHAEL ROSS WACHT
(Left to right) Carla Houser, Aisha Veasley, Tawana Grimes and
Jamie Oenning are the seniors on the Bruin basketball team.