2008 Woodie Awards
Player of the week
Mika Yanai
Loriza Sasur
Issue date: 1/29/07 Section: Sports
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A freshman on the team, she's proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with on the court. Yanai first started playing basketball in second grade at the local YMCA. "My family isn't really into sports," she said, "but my younger sister and I got interested in playing."
Yanai joined her first team in middle school when she joined the San Jose Asian League, an organization that forms teams all over California that compete in tournaments. She played for the San Jose Zebraettes, and remembers it as "a lot of fun."
She continued her basketball career playing on the team at Leland High School and her love of the game brought her to play college-level basketball. She enjoys playing for De Anza, and seeing a lot of familiar faces.
"Some of the people I come across are ones that I played with in high school." Yanai recognizes the strength of the team in its dynamics. "All of us are a different piece; we all have something to contribute, so it really helps." She also said that the team "gets along really well."
Yanai also appreciates the efforts of the coaches. "They are really helpful, and good at keeping us motivated."
Yanai keeps herself busy, taking 17 units of academic courses, with a high GPA. She juggles being a full-time student and a committed team player.
A basketball in-season schedule is very demanding, including practice every weekday for two hours a day and games. Yanai said she also tries to squeeze in practice by "shooting [baskets] around in my free time."
She has high hopes for their team. "I want to make it to the conference finals, or even farther if we can." Also important to her is "to maintain the [deep] bond with everyone on the team."
Birthday: May 15, 1988
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Position: Point Guard
Favorite Pro Player: Dwayne Wade
Major: Child Development
Dream School: University of Southern California
Most Memorable Basketball Moment: "Our season's opener my senior year in high school against Oak grove, when I scored 18 points the first half."
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