UA Basketball Player Overcomes Language Barriers

Wednesday, 02 March 2011 07:14

When Soana Lucet arrived in the United States four years ago from Noumea, New Caledonia, she could barely speak a word in English. In fact, she did not take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which forced her to enroll at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college. Two years later, Lucet landed herself a spot on the University of Arizona women's basketball team.

Lucet, 23, was born and raised in Noumea, New Caledonia, an island near New Zealand and Australia. Born to Sylvia Lucet and Soane Moleana, she is the youngest of three.

The 6-foot-1 forward began playing basketball when she was a freshman in high school. After high school she decided to travel to the U.S. to play collegiate basketball.

"I knew that I would get better here," Lucet said. "It's a dream come true. Everyone wants to come here and play ball." 

Besides the College of Southern Idaho, Lucet was recruited by at least four Division I athletic programs: Louisville, Memphis, North Carolina and eventually Arizona.

“I was basically told, 'You can’t go to Division I, just go to a junior college for two years then you can go to Division I after,'" Lucet said. 

 Growing up in Noumea, French was Lucet's native tongue.

"I knew a little bit of English but I wasn’t fluent at all," Lucet said. "I was really bad. I took English classes as a second language then for a whole semester at Arizona. It wasn’t bad and it was easy to learn. It was hard at the beginning and it was tough for sure. The coaches would say, ‘Do this and do that' and I didn’t know what was going on.”

Once she made a splash onto the collegiate courts, she made a huge impact for the College of Southern Idaho's Golden Eagles. According to her biography on the Arizona Wildcats website she holds the "College of Southern Idaho school record for career rebounds" and she is "currently the first and only female athlete from her country to play collegiate basketball in the U.S."

But after two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho, as planned, Lucet transferred.

Recruited by Arizona head coach Niya Butts and assistant coach Chance Lindley, Lucet quickly became a part of the Wildcat family in the 2009-10 season. She arrived in Tucson along with three other junior college transfers, but Lucet came in striving to work hard and earn a spot in the starting lineup. The forward put in the extra time to help herself drop almost 40 pounds after her junior year, a feat which has helped her become a better all-around basketball player and has contributed in her ability to improve her game.

As a junior she averaged 6.7 rebounds per game, slightly higher than her average this season of 5.2 and started in all of the games the Wildcats competed in. As a senior, Lucet is still the only international athlete on the team and she is ranked third in scoring on the team, averaging 10.9 points per game and is currently trailing senior Ify Ibekwe on the team in rebounds with 5.2.

Lucet recently played in her last home game on Feb. 26 in front of her family and Wildcat fans. Her parents traveled from Noumea to watch their daughter, who is now fluent in English, compete in her last home game in McKale Center. When "No. 53 Soana Lucet" was announced during the Senior Day ceremony prior to the USC game on the PA system, something was out of the ordinary, from normal pre-game introductions.

PA announcer, Jonathan Norris, bellowed into the microphone: "This senior is often referred to as the heart and soul of the Wildcat team. In her two-year career with Arizona, she played and started 56 contests, missing just one game, and is averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Accompanied onto the court by her parents Sylvia Lucet and Soane Moleana, a 6-foot-1 forward from Noumea, New Caledonia, No. 53 Soana Lucet."

First in English, then in French.

He did this so her parents could understand what was being said on a day that meant so much for the senior.

"It was good," Lucet said. "My parents were happy since my mother can only understand a little bit of English.”

As Lucet and the women's basketball team faces Oregon and Oregon State on the road for their final two regular season games on March 3 and 5, Lucet is focusing on making the most of her last two games. Ironically, the Ducks are who Lucet dropped a personal career best 28 points on last season at McKale.

After college, Lucet said she hopes to keep on playing, either here in the states, somewhere overseas, or if she can, take on a coaching position.

“I have really loved it here," Lucet said. "This is just a perfect fit. I’ve enjoyed my two years here and I enjoy the coach and the team. I’m really sad to leave. I wish I had more time here."

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