DIGITAL GCU Today AUG issue

T he ongoing legend of Nicole Powell, which ranges from child prodigy to a national hall of fame, could have been the tale of a tennis phenom. She was a baby in a courtside carrier with parents checking on her between volleys until she was mobile enough to be their ball girl. She was a girl whose serves hit the backstop as opponents began their return swings, prompting parents to complain that Powell served too hard. “She was as good as the Williams sisters,” said her mother, Ruth, making a Serena and Venus Williams comparison that is akin to saying her daughter could have outsung Christina Aguilera in the 1990s. “Her serve was probably better than theirs at that time.” Instead, Nicole presides over a different court. She became the greatest female high school basketball player in Arizona history, an All-American basketball star at Stanford, a WNBA All-Star, an 11-year GCU MAGAZ I NE • 2 1 VIDEOON NEWS.GCU.EDU Powell discusses Year 2 of her GCU program B Y P A U L C O R O TALENT SHOWS Nicole Powell’s GCU coach swung through a variety of activities before pivoting toward basketball