Guard Funda Nakkasoglu is back on the court after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules a year ago. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Aussie Funda Nakkasoglu Has a Knack for Game
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 | Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
She came to America three years ago and starred for two seasons at Utah State before transferring to Florida.
"Can you remember as far back as when you were 3?" Funda Nakkasoglu asks rhetorically. "It was very, very early."
What Nakkasoglu recalls precisely are the days and nights she spent with her father Can Nakkasoglu watching basketball back home in Melbourne, Australia. However, before we go there, let's go here: Funda Nakkasoglu is pronounced FOON-da knock-a-SO-glue, and Can, her father's first name, is pronounced Jon.
Nakkasoglu is preparing for her first season with the UF women's basketball team. She transferred to UF over the summer of 2016 and sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Gators open their inaugural season under head coach Cam Newbauer on Nov. 11 at home against Georgia State and Nakkasoglu, who turned 22 on Sept. 22, adds a proven scorer and floor leader.
"Got a knack for making plays,'' Newbauer said. "Not the most athletic, fastest, swiftest, strongest, quickest, but she knows how to play. We did some drills [recently] where we walked away and we were talking as a staff and we're like, 'wow, she knows how to find people, can put passes in really tight areas where some players can't.' Her knack for the game I think is her biggest attribute."
Nakkasoglu's natural instincts began to form as she watched all those basketball games with her father as a young girl. Can Nakkasoglu played professionally in Turkey and his wife, Meneske, excelled in volleyball.
As the couple's only child, Can's interest in the game beyond his playing days extended to young Funda. She preferred to tag along with her dad for pickup games and other local hoops events rather than play with dolls or watch cartoons.
At home is where the two hoops junkies shared their passion the most.
"My father and I would watch any game we could find, whether it be online, on TV, whether it be from a European championship to the WNBA, to Australian professional women's basketball,'' Funda said. "He is really what guided me into this sport."
Like Funda, Can played both guard positions during his career. He taught his daughter the proper fundamentals and as she got older and began playing for the Bulleen Boomers junior team, Can made sure she was instructed properly on the game's finer points.
Three-time Olympian Michelle Timms, who grew up playing for the Boomers before she became the most famous women's basketball player in Australian history, served a stint as Funda's coach.
Timms led Australia to bronze and silver medals at her peak and played in the WNBA. She was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame last year along with former NBA Commissioner David Stern and Houston Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon.
Once Newbauer learned Nakkasoglu's backstory, her connection to Timms made sense.
"She is one of the better point guards ever from Australia,'' Newbauer said. "She kind of reminds me or her, just that Australian swag."
Nakkasoglu decided to come to America for college to test her skills and landed at Utah State, where head coach Jerry Finkbeiner has developed an Aussie pipeline over the years. Nakkasoglu did not disappoint.
"I had no idea what to expect,'' she said. "I was just put in a good opportunity."
Nakkasoglu earned Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year during the 2014-15 season and as a sophomore for the Aggies, she led the conference in scoring at 20.8 points per game and was All-MWC first team.
The instant success at Utah State made Nakkasoglu want to test herself on another level in the SEC. She found her place at Florida.
"I knew it was the place I wanted to be,'' she said. "I committed right after my visit."
Nakkasoglu said the most difficult part of her first year at UF was being a spectator and unable to travel with the team. The Gators were on the road a lot at the start of the season due to the renovations at the O'Dome.
Senior center Haley Lorenzen, Nakkasoglu's roommate, sensed her new teammate's unrest at not being more involved during the season. Her time is finally here and Lorenzen can't wait to see what Nakkasoglu does.
"She is very clear and concise,'' Lorenzen said. "You know what you are supposed to do because she is so intentional with her words. It really helps as a player. Point guards need to have a commanding voice and I think she really has that. She thinks the game really well. She has a real passion for it. That's how she ended up with this really high IQ for the game."
Nakkasoglu said she never wavered in her commitment to the Gators when Newbauer replaced former coach Amanda Butler.
"I loved the coaches that came in as well. We get to know each other more and more each day,'' she said. "I feel like I have gone through a lot of change in my life, but I like to embrace it. I want to learn from it, so you might as well get used to it and go along for the ride."
The 5-foot-8 Nakkasoglu figures into the mix at point guard and shooting guard, a group that includes returners Dyandria Anderson and Delicia Washington.
Newbauer is quick to praise her playmaking ability, but he also wants to see her shoot when the shot is there.
"She's got the green light to shoot the ball,'' Newbauer said. "She's a kid you want stretching the floor."
Nakkasoglu's quickness has made Lorenzen more alert than ever at practice. If you're not ready, a pass might fly right by you.
"She is deceptively crafty and quick,'' Lorenzen said. "I think people may look at her and she might be a little shorter, but she has a quick release on her shot and she is so quick on her feet and that first dribble is amazing."
Nakkasoglu hasn't played in a game since March 8, 2016. Utah State lost to Fresno State in the second round of the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas. Nineteen players appeared in the game. Nakkasoglu was the only one to play all 40 minutes, finishing with 16 points, three rebound, three assists, five turnovers and a steal.
Her wait is almost over. A fresh start to show Florida fans those skills others talk about.
"I'm just ready to get back on the court,'' she said. "I'm excited for the season and about this team. I guess it does pay off to watch all those basketball games when I was younger."
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