July 24, 2009
Amy Beggin
UNM Media Relations
The first pickup game the Lady Lobos played this summer, both teams were going up and down the court making nice plays, nice passes and they were putting the ball in the basket. Then Chinyere Nnaji caught the ball on the wing, made a quick move to the middle of the paint, rose up and elevated over the defense before swishing the ball into the net. It was one of those moments that made you say “Wow!” Nnaji may be the Lobos most athletic player and because of that she could bring a lot of “Wow” moments to The Pit.
Who: Chinyere Nnaji
Height: 6-0
Position: Guard/Small Forward
Hometown: Plano, Texas
High School: Plano Senior High School
Trivia: Favorite movie:> Love & Basketball; Would love to travel to: Nigeria; Classes taken this summer: Music Appreciation and Public Speaking
When Nnaji puts on a New Mexico uniform for the first time and runs down the ramp to play in front of the Pit crowd, Lobo fans will have no trouble identifying who she is. It won’t be her height that stands out, but it will be her athleticism. Nnaji is one of those players you look at and say, “That’s an athlete!” And then you see her play and it confirms your statement. Nnaji is fast, she is long, she can jump, and she can play. None of these traits are anything new to Nnaji either. Her talent was discovered before she even touched a basketball.
“Before I played basketball, I played soccer,” said Nnaji. “People told me that I should play basketball, but I thought it was dumb you had to stop every time the ref blew the whistle. But I tried it and I had a lot of fun.”
Nnaji carried the early success she had over to high school where she averaged 12 points and six rebounds in her senior year for Plano Senior High School. She graduated on June 9, which was two days into our summer workout and class schedule. She hopped right in for her first workout, which was a conditioning day that involved stations in the weight room. After going through the stations about two times, we looked at Nnaji as she was gliding through them with ease, and we asked her if she was even breathing hard.
Nnaji said she is excited to play in front of The Pit crowd and hopes to bring that athleticism and speed to the Lobos.
“I am excited for the basketball atmosphere and the big crowds.” stated Nnaji. “Usually girls don’t have big crowds. Having a chance to play in front of thousands of fans and having a chance to play in the NCAA tournament is a dream.”
But it’s not just Nnaji’s speed, athleticism and skill that are going to win over The Pit crowd. She has a smile that will knock you off your feet, a sense of humor that will have you rolling on the ground and she has a presence about her that makes you feel good.
She is one of the first to encourage, the first to complement and the first to crack a joke.The first week the freshmen arrived, a few of us went over to visit with them. After having a good time, we got up to leave and thanked them for having us over. Nnaji replied with a smile, “Yep, the first and the last!”
Nnaji may be the Lobos most athletic player, could turn into one of the Lobos best defenders and could be an impact player this year. But it’s not just her basketball skills that make her stand out. Nnaji is a good, all around, humble kid who does things the right way.
“When people see me play, I want them to say that Coach Flanagan picked a good person.”
Continue to check www.golobos.com for more features on the UNM women’s basketball team.