Athletics

Leaving a Legacy

N Our Voice by Jordan Hooper

Scott Bruhn

I didn’t think there was anything out of the ordinary when my alma mater reached out wondering if I was available for Alumni Day in early January.

Additionally, they said Coach Williams needed some help with recruiting and asked if I’d be willing to hop on a phone call with her and help sell the Husker basketball program.

Little did I know I was in for quite the surprise.

I was literally in my garage looking for extension cords to hang Christmas lights when I got the call from Coach Williams, but it wasn’t about recruiting.

She told me for Alumni Weekend, they want to honor the 2012-2013 team I was on that made the Sweet Sixteen run, in addition to the 2013-2014 team that won the 2014 Big 10 Championship Tournament.

As if I wasn’t honored enough, what she was about to say next took my breath away.

They planned to retire my #35 jersey, making me just the fourth women’s player in the history of Nebraska basketball to have her jersey retired.

I immediately let out an expletive, and how could you blame me?

I really didn’t know what to say as the tears came running down, and my heart filled with gratitude.

Time has a funny way of making you forget about your past accomplishments and those you were fortunate enough to make an impact on, but the jersey retirement has reminded me just how special those four years I spent at Nebraska were.

I wouldn’t be the person and player I am today without them.

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Navigating life's transitions

I’m a Nebraska girl through and through.

I grew up in Alliance, which is a small town about six hours west of Lincoln.

When I got to high school, I believe there were around 120 students at the school, which may not sound like many, but that was massive to me considering I was coming from a country school with only four students in the class, including myself.

I say all of this because a theme of my life has been transitioning from one thing to another.

From country school to high school, to college, to a professional career — it hasn’t always been easy making these adjustments because I was a painfully shy kid.

In fact, when I accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Nebraska, there were people who seriously questioned whether I’d make it because I was so shy and a homebody who was more than content living on my parents’ ranch.

I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t scared to be six hours away from home, but at the same point in time, going to college was my chance to break out of my shell and prove those people wrong.

The hardwood is where I felt the most confident and like I could achieve almost anything, so I set off to Lincoln with excitement, looking to make an immediate impact for my home-state team.

Jordan Hooper Reflects on Her Time As a Husker

Can't have highs without the lows

I thought I made a terrible mistake.

To say the least, it was a rough first season for me as a freshman.

As a team, we were young, dealt with multiple injuries, and only ended up winning a couple of conference games, which was difficult in itself.

But I also had quite a bit going on in my personal life, so being six hours away from home became incredibly painful as the losses continued to mount.

It was a scary position to be in because I was just a 19-year-old kid, and I had to make such a life-altering decision.

Do I stick it out at Nebraska, or do I go back home to Alliance and decide what to do from there?

Looking back on it now, I couldn’t be more thankful that I decided to stay at Nebraska because my time in Lincoln only got better with each passing year.

In a season I’ll remember forever, we made a run to the Sweet Sixteen during my junior year, then ended up winning the Big 10 Tournament to cap off my senior year.

Starting out my collegiate career essentially at rock bottom made the success in the coming years that much more rewarding, knowing the struggles we faced as a team culminated into bringing home that Big 10 title to Lincoln.

There were far more highs than lows in my collegiate career, but I’m grateful for the lows because I learned so much about myself and the kind of person it taught me to be when faced with hardship and challenges in life.

Hanging with Jordan Hooper - an NET Sports Feature

A bittersweet reflection

After spending time in the WNBA and playing overseas for the last several years, this is actually the first full year I’ve been back home since high school.

That’s why the jersey retirement couldn’t have come at a better time because, for the first time in my adult life, I can take a deep breath and reflect a bit on everything I’ve accomplished in my basketball career.

There’s beauty in that, but there’s also some uncertainty.

Since I was a little girl, all I ever dreamed about was playing basketball, and now that my career is nearing the end, I’m not certain what I want to do with my life.

It’s a strange position to be in to have an identity crisis of sorts, but it’s not something I’m going to overly stress about either.

No matter what my future holds in or out of the sport, I know for certain that I’m going to be okay because I have great experience, a strong work ethic, and people who believe in me.

I just have to find a new passion that will fulfill me and bring me the amount of joy that basketball has blessed me with throughout the course of my life.

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Why we play this game

When I saw my name and number being raised from the rafters for the first time at Pinnacle Bank Arena, it’s hard to put into words what I felt at that moment.

It’s only been a handful of weeks, so it still feels surreal and incomprehensible, but knowing my name and legacy will live on forever with Nebraska basketball, I’m reminded of what I was able to achieve here.

I was always focused on the next game, getting ready for a career in the WNBA, playing overseas, moving cities, etc., so I never took the time to look back at the success I had and the little girls I was able to help influence.

I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing my name in the rafters alongside absolute legends in Maurtice Ivy, Karen Jennings, and Kelsey Griffin, but maybe that’s a good thing.

No one plays this game with the sole purpose of having your jersey retired one day.

We play this game for the love of the sport, the success we’re able to achieve as a team, and to leave a lasting impact on the next generation to come.

Whether I’ve played my last basketball game or not, that’s a legacy I will always be proud to have my name be a part of.