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We hope you are ready for a season unlike any other: testing, distancing, and bubbles, oh my! Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, or whether anything actually will happen…but in the meantime we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches/administrators in the country. We continue our coverage with Duquesne C Laia Sole. She grew up in Spain, was named conference 6th Player of the Year as a freshman, and graduated last May. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Laia about winning a gold medal and her expectations for this year.
You were born/raised in Spain: how did you 1st get into basketball, and how big a deal is the sport in your home country? I come from a very tall family so as a kid I did not like being taller than the rest of my class. However, being able to use my height as an advantage in basketball made me feel good about myself so I started going to the park and playing basketball with my dad on the weekends. I remember having a lot of fun with him and my dad mentioned the idea of going to play for my town’s club when I was 11. I did and have loved the sport ever since then.
As a freshman at Maine you were named 2017 conference 6th Player of the Year and also made the conference All-Rookie Team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start despite coming off the bench? I think that all international players (especially freshmen) go through a challenging transition due to the differences between basketball styles in Europe and in the US. It was a hard transition at first but I was able to adapt pretty fast within the system. I was able to impact the game and help my team in important moments and I will always be thankful for that. Coming off the bench gave me some extra minutes to see how the feel of the game was going so I knew that when it was my time to play I would be ready to go.
Later that year you transferred to Duquesne where your sister Judith was playing: how close are you 2, and who is the best player in the family? We are very close: everyone who knows me knows that I absolutely adore her. I would be lying if I said that the fact that she was playing at Duquesne at the time did not make the decision of transferring there that much easier for me.
You played for Spain at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? Playing for the national team is one of the best parts of the year…especially if the team wins a medal at the end of the European Championship/World Championship. I will always remember every medal that we have won and the hard work/dedication behind each one. However, what I value the most is being able to play against the best players in the world for my age group since I get to learn a lot from them.
You play for Coach Dan Burt, who is 24 wins away from becoming all-time winningest head coach in school history: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? Coach truly takes care of us. He is a big believer that winning basketball games starts with maximum effort in practice and then continues with good habits such as property fueling our bodies and reparative sleep. Therefore, he (along with all of the other coaches) makes sure that we receive the best care: we are very appreciative of what they all do for us.
Last December you scored 38 of your team’s 72 PTS in a 3-PT OT win over St. Francis, which is tied for the 6th-best performance in school history: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Every game is different. The defense that opponent had prepared for us allowed me to consistently go 1-on-1 down on the block, which is where I am more comfortable. However, I was also “in the zone” as you call it: when you see your first five shots going in then your confidence will naturally go up.
Last March you scored 9 PTS in a 7-PT loss to Fordham in the 2020 A-10 tourney and were hoping to get an at-large bid to the WNIT before learning that the rest of the postseason was canceled due to the coronavirus: what was your reaction when you 1st heard the news, and do you think that it was the right decision? I understand that some things are bigger than basketball. If they decided that cancelling the NCAA Tournament was the best decision then there probably was a good reason to believe it was not safe for student-athletes and all of the people working around them. However, it was devastating to hear the news since March is always the best time of year in college basketball.
A few days later you decided to fly home to Spain, where you had your virtual graduation last May and are now working on your MBA: how is Spain dealing with the coronavirus, and what will you do with your MBA? I think that Spain, along with every other country, is doing the best it can to stop the spread. It was rough having my graduation online but you just have to make the most of it. With my MBA I want to focus on business operations or business management strategy.
You are 1 of 4 graduate students on the current roster (along with Halle Bovell/Anie-Pier Samson/Kiersten Elliott): how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? Having experienced players in a team is always crucial. Halle/AP/Kiersten have been at Duquesne for almost 5 years now, and it shows. They understand the culture in the organization and they are great leaders. This is my 4th year here so I think that I can benefit from my experience with the team as well as helping my younger teammates.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My goal is always the same: win the Atlantic-10 Championship. I expect to compete at a high level with my teammates while having fun!