From the sports archives: Westmoor's Daniela Nopuente is Ram tough

"Not tough at all," she said. "He's never been there for me, so there was never an emotional impact. He called a couple of days ago, and he asked, 'Will you forgive me?' I said yes, but in my heart, it's really no, because he was never in my life."

Nopuente admits that she can be stubborn at times, but it's her pride and determination that's carried her this far. After all, when you're a 5-foot-6, 130-pounder routinely going up against a bunch of sequoias in the paint -- as she did in Friday's game against St. Ignatius' twin tower 6-5 posts of Nicole Canepa and Elise Wilson -- it takes a lot of moxie. There was a moment in last week's game against St. Ignatius when Nopuente felt unstoppable. After she sliced through the lane for two of her game-high 30 points during the second half of the Rams' 55-44 win in the championship game of the Leo LaRocca Sand Dune Classic, Westmoor's sensational point guard experienced a feeling few ever get.

"I know I can take a game over," Nopuente said, "and there's nothing like it when it happens."

Nopuente totaled 69 points in three games in the Sand Dune Classic to earn the Daily Journal's Athlete of the Week. It's already been a remarkable year for Nopuente, who is averaging 17 points per game and has gone for 30 or more points three times. As the engine that drives Westmoor's high-octane attack, Nopuente is counted upon to be many things, including a prolific scorer, a floor general and a defensive whiz. Westmoor coach Corey Cafferata said his star senior has done all that and more.

"Instead of just reacting, Daniela is a thinker out there now," Cafferata said. "She's matured and become disciplined, and it's really paid off. I think honestly, my system is the perfect fit for her. She can make mistakes and still be creative."

Speaking of artistry, Nopuente views the basketball court as her canvas, a place where all of her enormous talents are on display. It's no wonder Nopuente's game has elements of style, backed up with substance. When Nopuente was 7, her aunt, Danielle, took her to a park in Oakland. It was love at first hoop. Nopuente spent countless hours on the playground honing her outside jumper and developing some killer shake-and-bake moves -- many that she employs today.

"The fact that I feel like I can do anything on the basketball court makes me want to improve and grow as a player," Nopuente said. "There's nothing else I would rather do."

In the past, Nopuente could get flustered if things weren't going her way. Even though Nopuente will never be mistaken for the calm, stoic type, she has learned to put mind over matter, composure over hyper-aggression. With a lightning-quick first step, a deadly outside shot and a motor that would outlast the Energizer Bunny, Nopuente is finally earning attention from college coaches. After reneging on her commitment to Idaho, she signed a letter-of-intent to play at University of the Pacific.

"I loved the school (Idaho), but when I took my visit, I couldn't see myself living there for four years," Nopuente said. "Being from Daly City, it was kind of a culture shock when I arrived there. It was all farms, and I was really trying to see it through, but I couldn't. Being able to play closer to home now, it's a dream come true."

Said Cafferata: "Daniela has gone from a raw talent to a player who five or six years from now has an opportunity to get paid for playing. Her game is at an ultimate high right now. I remember yelling at her during our win over Crenshaw just for the heck of it, because there was nothing she was doing wrong. That's how well she's been playing this year."

Nopuente plays with the fearlessness of her idols, Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan. She has posters of the two in her Daly City home, and, whenever things get tough, she'll ask herself, "What would Iverson and Jordan do?" Nopuente's determination is off the charts freaky; Cafferata said he's never coached an athlete who risks body and limb to help her team succeed. Sometimes, Nopuente has a tendency to talk to herself on the court, much to the delight of her teammates.

"They made fun of me at first," she said. "It's actually my way of focusing. If I miss a shot, I tell myself that I should've made it. If I turn the ball over, I ask myself what I did wrong. Those are the expectations I have on myself. I'm harder on myself than anyone because that's the only way you're going to improve."<