For most college athletes, balancing school and their sport is a struggle,
but for Shaniqua Nilles, the balancing act is even more challenging. But rather
than viewing it as a challenge, Shaniqua views it as a blessing. Shaniqua plays
basketball at Gonzaga University, and she recently started her junior season.
Well redshirt junior season that is. In college sports, a redshirt is someone
who chose to sit out a season or was unable to play in a season, who is still
able to play in practice but is not allowed to play in games. By redshirting,
it allows a player an extra year of eligibility in which they may play more.
Most college players redshirt because they will not get playing time, or
because they have a bad injury, but Shaniqua did not redshirt for either of
these reasons. .JPG)
From a very young age, Shaniqua knew that she wanted to play basketball at
Gonzaga. She started playing basketball at the age of five. Growing up, she did
gymnastics and dance, and she played soccer, basketball, volleyball, and ran
track. In the end, Shaniqua chose basketball because she “loves how competitive
and gritty basketball is, yet it is still a mental game as well.”
Shaniqua said that her biggest accomplishment in basketball was fulfilling
a lifelong dream and signing to play at Gonzaga. She ended up choosing Gonzaga because,
“I love the atmosphere. It's second to none in the country, if you ask me. I
also loved the fact that my parents could be at every game. They've supported
me in all my endeavors in life. Plus, my best friend, Jazmine Redmon, was there
and I knew I couldn't pass on an opportunity to reunite with her on the
hardwood again.” Shaniqua was also blessed to get a full ride athletic
scholarship and an academic scholarship for her grades.
While accomplishing a lifelong dream, getting scholarships, and playing for
one of the best women’s basketball teams in the country sounds good, there is a
side to Shaniqua that people rarely see.
On June 11, 2012, the summer
before her sophomore year at Gonzaga, Shaniqua gave birth to her daughter.
When Shaniqua first found out
she was pregnant, she “was afraid that I would no longer be able to accomplish
all these goals I had set for myself AND raise a child.” After her daughter was
born, Shaniqua considered quitting basketball, “a few times, actually. I felt
like I wasn't being an attentive mom because I had so many other things to focus
on simultaneously. But then, Haiden Palmer and Jazmine Redmon came to my
rescue. They made it clear to me that by remaining a full-time student and a D1
athlete, I was being a good mom. I was sacrificing a little bit of my now, for
our future. I can never thank Haiden and Jazy enough for bringing me back from
the edge. I love them and thank God daily for them both.” Because of the
amazing support system Shaniqua has between her friends and teammates and
family, she is able to raise her daughter and play college basketball.
In order to describe the amazing
support system she has, Shaniqua said, “They say it takes a village to raise a
baby, but in this case it takes an entire university.”
While raising a child is a
challenge for anyone, Shaniqua manages to do it while staying in school, and
playing college basketball. When asked how she manages to do this, she told me,
“It's all about time-management, organization and balance. One thing that has
really helped me is that when I'm with my daughter, she gets my full, undivided
attention. The same goes for my team and my studies.” Shaniqua is determined to
finish college and be successful because she is no longer doing things just for
her, but rather for her daughter.
For Shaniqua, her biggest
struggle in basketball has been her confidence. “Being a D1 athlete can be
exhausting mentally, physically and emotionally. It took me some time to
realize that God has me at GU for a reason; I belong, and I am a valued member
of the women's basketball team.” Shaniqua is now a key player for the team, and
in the first game of the 2014-2015 season she had eight points, and three
rebounds, helping the team to a ten point win over number twenty-two ranked
Dayton.
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Shaniqua has been a part of many
important and exciting moments for the Gonzaga basketball team, along with many
disappointing and upsetting moments. Shaniqua says her favorite basketball
moment at Gonzaga was when, “I hit a game-winner against Ohio St. Wow, that was
such an amazing and rare opportunity. I am so blessed! Seeing my teammates rush
the court to embrace me and celebrate.... Still gives me the chills.” While in
this moment, Shaniqua’s teammates were rushing her, in what Shaniqua described
as the worst basketball moment, it was the players of the other team rushing
the court. Shaniqua claim that her least favorite basketball moment at Gonzaga
was “Losing to James Madison University in the first round of the NCAA
tournament last year. The disappointment was so painful, but that has motivated
my teammates for this season.”
Everyone who is a fan of a
college basketball team has experienced this kind of disappointment at some
time or another, whether you play or not, watching your team lose always hurts,
and it hurts a little more when the loss ends your season.
On hard days like these days,
Shaniqua thinks of her daughter to keep her going. She said, “She gives me
purpose. Everything I do, I do for her.”
Every basketball player has bad
days where it seems nothing is going right, and for many of these players, on
these days, they want to just take a break and step off of the court for just a
few minutes. That is not the case with Shaniqua. For Shaniqua, “There's nothing
a little sweat can't fix!” Basketball is where she goes on a bad day, “Basketball
has always been an escape for me. That's where I feel the most like my true
self. Whenever I feel down, lost or heavy, I go get up a few jumpshots.”
One of the hardest things for
Shaniqua to do is leave her daughter to travel to away games. “It breaks my
heart every time. I have to leave the most precious piece of me behind. It
hurts, and when she was little I was so scared that I would miss her say
"mom" for the first time or her first few steps.. She misses me so
much and that's hard to hear her crying for me, but thank goodness for Skype
and Facetime!”
Shaniqua loves being at Gonzaga,
but her time at the beautiful school is quickly passing her by, and thoughts
about her future have started going through her mind. Once she leaves Gonzaga, “playing
overseas would be an unbelievable blessing.” If playing overseas doesn’t end up
working out, Shaniqua wants to find a career in Public Relations anywhere but
the U.S. She said, “I need to see the world.”
Shaniqua has learned so many
valuable lessons at Gonzaga, and swears she has gained, “a valuable lesson
every day.” She summed up all of the lessons she has learned by saying, “God is
good. I know many people doubted me and whether or not I would be able to pull
this off! Shoot, I even doubted myself. I've learned that God is always working
towards the good. Regardless of the trials and tribulations I'm experiencing,
God is looking out for and taking care of me. I live such a blessed life.”
The biggest lesson to take from
Shaniqua is: no matter what you go through in your life, always know that
anything is possible. You may have a period of time where people doubt you and
you may even start to believe what they are saying. But always remember that
life will go on, and no matter what happens, you always have the option to
change it. You control your future, and whether you end up at the top or the
bottom, that is where you led yourself, so work to get where you want and don’t
let anything stop you. 
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