The Details: Trip Down Under First International Experience For Garcia
August 03, 2016 | General, Women's Basketball
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Gigi Garcia called it "wall ball."
Growing up, few days went by when the Washington freshman's family wasn't playing the game designed for an outside wall.
However, when the Garcia family competed, the game took place in front of an empty wall inside their Northern California home.
This wasn't simply a game played among siblings – her sister, Bella, and brother, Anthony. Mom played. So did Dad. The whole family participated, well, except for Christian, Garcia's youngest brother has yet to experience this family tradition.
"It was super competitive," Garcia said. "It's supposed to be an outside game, but we took it inside. You're supposed to use a soft ball, but we ended up with a basketball or whatever was in the house."
So who is the family's wall ball champion?
"Me," she said with a smile. "Of course."
She didn't hesitate. She started to laugh. Whether her family was playing a board game or wall ball, the competition was intense.
"Someone would always end up crying," Garcia said, continuing to laugh.
When the games ended and tears dried, any frustration faded.
"We basically competed to show the others what they needed to do," she said.
With a father, Aaron, who spent 19 seasons in the Arena Football League and a mother, Shelby, who played basketball at Sacramento State, athleticism runs in the family.
Always active growing up, Garcia tried a variety of sports, but never planned on a Division I future in basketball. When she was younger, soccer was the game that first captured her attention.
"Soccer was my main sport," she said. "There was no way I thought I would be where I am today with basketball."
A knee injury changed everything.
When she was hurt playing soccer, she decided it was time to focus her energy on a new sport. She shifted her attention to basketball. Shelby worked with her in the post, while Aaron helped her with her shot.
A versatile 6-foot-2 forward, it didn't take long for Garcia to catch the attention of Division I coaches with her mix of size and athleticism.
Now at Washington, her skill set makes her a good fit for a Washington program coming off of a Final Four appearance last season.
"I feel blessed," Garcia said. "It just pumps you up. We want to do that same thing. We want to come in and bring the same type of intensity they had last year."
One of five newcomers to Washington's roster, Garcia and the Huskies are now preparing for Saturday's trip Down Under, a visit to Australia that will take the team to Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney.
For Garcia, the international journey is her first opportunity to travel outside the country.
"To go with this team, I really enjoy playing with all these girls and hanging out with them outside of basketball, so I'm excited. I'm looking forward to seeing their culture compared to ours, and I want to try the food."
Between school, basketball and a trip abroad, there has been plenty for Garcia to experience in her first month on campus. While it isn't always easy to go through so many new experiences at once, the freshman said the Huskies have made the transition a smooth one, because she has "a lot of support behind me," teammates and coaches who understand when to challenge and when to encourage.
"They push you as much as they can and are still your best friend," she said. "They never bring me down. They are super supportive."
