Tuesday, August 4, 1998
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Nani Cockett, left, shown here going to the hoop
against Rice last season, will take her game to Israel.
Cockett to
play in
Israel
Former Wahine
By Al Chase
basketball standout
signs a contract to
play professionally
Star-BulletinNani Cockett's next accomplishments in basketball will take place almost 10,000 miles and 12 time zones from the state where her name is synonymous with excellence.
The former University of Hawaii Wahine standout has signed a contract to play professionally in Israel this coming season.
The 6-foot shooting guard will play for the Nirsoft Carmiel Basketball Club in Israel's top division. The team, sponsored by Nirsoft Industries, is based in Tel Aviv, a seaport city in Western Israel.
"I'm excited, and at the same time I'm scared," she said. "It's an opportunity for me to continue playing, yet it's the first time in my life my family won't be there for every game.
"Just being able to go into this league that has a lot of WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) players will be a great experience. I know the competition will be tough. I hope it makes me better, a lot better."
Cockett doesn't know how she will react to being away from home for an extended period of time. She thinks the first couple of months will be the most difficult.
"I'm just like anyone else who hasn't left home or been away for this long," she said.
Her contract is for eight months. During that time she expects to discover what it's like at the next level of basketball.
"It's going to be an experience. Hopefully, it will be a good one," Cockett said.
The contract also provides housing, transportation in Israel and round-trip air fare.
"I read the contact and it's a no-cut contract unless she is unable to play during the first seven days she is there," University of Hawaii head women's basketball coach Vince Goo said.
"She played pickup today (yesterday) and I told her she could play Wednesday and that's it. She leaves Monday and she needs to arrive healthy so there is no reason or excuse for them to send her back home."
Cockett averaged 19.4 points per game in her senior season with the Wahine, 40th best in the nation. She established career UH marks for blocked shots (141), 3-point field goals made (128) and steals (289) and tied the career mark for games played (120).
After being passed over in the WNBA draft earlier this summer, Cockett accepted an invitation to the USA Basketball tryouts in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Although not selected for a national team, she enjoyed that experience. She spent the remainder of the summer giving her body a break from the rigors of training. The injuries she incurred at the end of the UH season -- she hurt both pinkies and badly sprained her right ankle -- needed time to completely heal.
"I think she is ready to go. It's the next step in her career," Goo said. "She knows it's an opportunity very few people get. It's away from home, but that's part of moving on and growing.
"We're awfully proud of her. We don't expect much response, no live TV, but we'll check with her agent to see how she's doing."
It's a long way to go to score points, but Cockett pointed out that "it's a chance to see another side of the world."
Nani Cockett's career statistics at the University of Hawaii: BY THE NUMBERS
Season Games Reb. Ass. Blocks Steals Avg. 1993-94 30 108 62 19 40 11.0 1994-95 4 13 13 2 4 13.3 1995-96 29 113 72 25 77 14.9 1996-97 29 159 96 48 75 17 5 1997-98 28 143 105 47 93 19.4 Totals 120 536 348 141 289 15.63-point field goals, career: 128-347 (.369). Minutes, career: 3,779 (average 31.5 per game).
