Playing D1 College Hoops at UC-Irvine, Winning Championships, Skill Development, and Becoming a Basketball Star with Nikki Tom

The Asian American Athlete

In this episode, host Justin Hong interviews UC-Irvine women’s basketball player Nikki Tom.
During this episode, Nikki shares about her family’s background, where she grew up, and how she got her start playing basketball (3:45).
She talks about how playing with older kids during her childhood helped her become a better player (4:42), her experience as an Asian American basketball player (7:20), and how she continued to develop her abilities as a basketball player (9:00).
She shares a memorable moment from her high school basketball career (11:17), when she first set her goal to play college basketball (13:58), her experience with college recruiting, and how she ultimately decided to attend UC-Irvine (15:00).
She gives us an inside look at her college basketball experience, including the biggest adjustments for her going from playing high school basketball to college basketball (16:59), how she prepares both physically and mentally to play heavy minutes on a consistent basis (18:13), and the biggest highlight of her college career so far (19:17).
She discusses what aspects of her game she wants to improve upon this upcoming season (20:35), what it means to her to be an Asian American D1 women’s college basketball player (23:11), and much more.
Nikki Tom - UC-Irvine Profile Page

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