Backcourt Blog - Dominique Kelley

Hey Husker fans,

I cannot believe that it is almost time to go back to school. It seems like not that long ago we were just prepping for the NCAA Tournament, and all of you were following us around in record crowds.

With that being said my teammates and I spent the last 3 1/2 months working hard to become more skilled on the court and stronger in the weight room.

We graduated six seniors from last year's team, so we know several of our freshmen will have opportunities to make a tremendous impact on our team this season. Let me help you become a little bit more acquainted with them.

Kellie McCann-Smith - On the court she is very savvy and smart. She has a good feel for the game. She is very competitive and has really high expectations for herself. When Kellie becomes more confident in her abilities, she has the heart to make huge plays.

She's a lot of fun to be around but soft spoken.  She has become notorious for standing Layne Reeves and I up. On several occasions we have invited her to come to dinner with us, as well as join Layne and I for our regular pedicure dates. She has told us that she would love to join but every time we get ready to go, she has another appointment with some tutor - or so she claims.

Adrianna Maurer - On the court I think Adri has the ability to make an early impact on this team as a rebounder, especially on the offensive glass. She can also step away from the basket. Adri has made huge jumps already in her workouts here this summer.

Off the court, she is super hilarious. She says really witty things when you least expect them. She has the softest voice in the entire world. If I get exhausted and caught on a screen this year I will definitely say, "Coach I could not hear Adri call it out!"

Katie Simon - On the court, Katie has the ability to play with her back to the basket as well as face up. She has a nice shot and if you leave her open she is going to knock it down. She runs the floor hard and has great hands.

Off the court, Katie is the sweetest girl on Earth. You can always count on Katie to be there for a high-five or some words of encouragement. I do not think that girl has a mean bone in her body. I have actually seen her stop on the court to help someone up after she knocked them down.  She too is a little soft spoken.

Jordan Hooper - On the court, Jordan is a really special player and has the opportunity to help us from the very beginning. Her abilities are very similar to Kelsey Griffin, but J Hoop is more skilled on the perimeter. If you do not have a hand up on her, expect her to consistently knock down the three ball. I am anticipating that J Hoop will do a little bit of everything for us this year.

Off the court, this girl is probably the biggest surprise of them all. I love this girl. When Jordan was coming in I had all these random people tell me so many different things about her like how she is probably going to be really homesick. She is so the opposite. Jordan's best quality is that she has the ability to light up a room and she does it effortlessly. She has a way of making your day seem better with the funny things she says or the faces that she makes. We have become pretty close given that we have sort of ended up being lifting partners this summer.  I also played in the Cornhusker State Games with her. She dominated and led us to the gold medal.

Becca Woodberry - On the court, Becca reminds me a lot of myself. We have similar body types, but she is a little taller than me. She is also a better shooter than me, but has the ability to get to the rim because of her strength. Becca loves to compete. She is very outspoken, opinionated and motivated. Becca's best quality is that she is competitive and wants to get better. She is always asking me, "Nique am I doing this right?"

So those are the freshmen. I think you are going to love them. They are all very friendly and mature for their age, and I think that being here for 10 weeks this summer says a lot about how serious they are taking basketball and academics at this level. It also says something about their maturity, commitment and willingness to get better.

The rest of the crew is doing awesome as well. Look to see KB (Kaitlyn Burke) back in action this fall. I am praying she has a tremendous year because she has worked really hard this year rehabbing her foot. She looks really good but you can tell that she is not where she would like to be.

Katya (Leick) is also finishing up with her rehab, and she should be almost 100 percent in the weeks to come.  Meghin (Williams), Jess (Periago), Layne (Reeves), Lindsey (Moore), Harleen (Sidhu), Cat (Redmon) and I have just been working hard in conditioning trying to pass all of our preseason tests, as well as becoming more skilled on our weaknesses and stronger in the weight room.

Off the court I spent a lot of time with my family this summer. My little sister is growing up so fast. I want to spend as much time with her as possible, because I hope to pursue a coaching career outside of Nebraska after graduation.  

I also officiated several basketball games this season and I currently am working at an athletic apparel store at the mall. I am spending a week in Chicago with my boyfriend visiting his family and spending all my hard earned money.

So that was my summer with the Huskers in a few paragraphs. As I enter the final year of my Husker career, I would like to thank everyone for all of their support and love. These past three years have flown by. Thank you so much for embracing your hometown kid. I am so glad that I decided to stay home and got to be a part of this rich tradition at Nebraska. \

I also want to thank my Mom for all of her sacrifices she has made. I do not know how she always did it, but she found a way. I love her.

Lastly but certainly not least, please keep one of our greatest and most faithful fans Larry Meyer in your prayers. Make sure you tell the people in your lives that you love them and seize all opportunities that you have with them.

Coach Sunny (Smallwood) has asked me: "What kind of legacy do you want to leave?"

As I reflect on the conversations that I have had with Larry and his wife, I remember very clear conversations about honoring and putting Christ first as well as loving people. We are all praying for you and thanks for all that you did for Nebraska Women's Basketball!

GO BIG RED!!!!
Nique