Tiera O’Connor '25 Recruiting Profile

I was five when I started playing basketball, and I instantly had a strong passion and drive for the sport. Since then, I have spent as much time as I can improving my skills and bettering my knowledge about basketball, while also balancing school and maintaining high grades and a competitive academic status. I did this by playing rotary basketball and participating in camps until 4th grade when I was invited to play on a competitive AAU travel basketball team.  From there my competition levels increased and my drive to find more and more opportunities to participate in the sport grew.  Basketball is my only sport and a life passion of mine. I am excited for the opportunity to play at the college level and push myself academically. It is a once in a lifetime experience and a huge commitment, and I am extremely willing to put my all into achieving this goal.

I am a versatile player with the ability to drive to the basket and shoot from anywhere on the court. I have strong ball handling skills, court vision, aggressive defense, and a high basketball IQ.  I am an extremely coachable player with an open mindset. I am willing to put in time and effort to help both my team and myself achieve our goals. Mental toughness has been an area of personal growth I have focused on.  A book I read that spoke to me was The Inner Game of Tennis. Inspired by that book, I have worked on not letting mistakes affect my game and to push through with toughness. I strive to be the hardest working player and to continually learn new things on and off the court. I surely am one of the most dedicated recruits you will find.

Improving my basketball skills is something I invest in year round. Throughout the off-season I dedicate two hours or more, six to seven days a week to basketball. I participate in a high level AAU team that provides great competition and pushes me to get better. I regularly go to the gym on my own time, or with a coach, to get shots up and to work on all aspects of my game.  During the summer months I also attend camps and play with my high school summer league.  As soon as school starts, I dive into intense conditioning in preparation for pre-season and season.

As a second year varsity player, I have pushed myself to become a stronger player and a positive teammate on and off the court. My coaches and teammates describe me as a natural talent, competitive, and a driven athlete. From my freshman to my sophomore varsity year, my stats improved across the board. Some key improvements are the ability to score, as well as the ability to see the court. I earned a spot as the only sophomore on varsity, and in the starting line up. I contributed greatly to our team being undefeated league champ in SCCAL, the Champions of the SCCAL post season tournament, second place in CCS Division 3, and playing through the second round in the CIF Norcal tournament.  I was honored to be the only sophomore named part of SCCAL First Team All League and I was a Santa Cruz Sentinel athlete of the week winner.

In these past two years of high school, my dedication paid off, and I am excited to have two more years to push myself and continue to improve to become the best and most well rounded player I can possibly be. Whether I am in the gym, personal training, or meeting with my coaches, I am always working towards improving and fulfilling my potential. Attending a college that will take my skills to the next level, and push me on the court, as well as in the classroom would fulfill a lifelong dream of mine.