The 6’5 forward/center suffered a knee injury at the end of the Bears’ win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The injury brought an abrupt end to N’diaye’s break-out sophomore season, when she averaged 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds while playing just over 19 minutes a game. She shot almost 52 %, which led the team and would have been the fourth-best mark in the Pac-10 had she taken a few more attempts. She was named the MVP of the Contra Costa Times Classic, where she collected a career-high 18 boards against St. Mary’s.
Following surgery, N’diaye accompanied the team on Cal’s trip to Tunisia and to her homeland, Senegal, where she served as unofficial guide and interpreter. Besides Wolof, N’diaye also speaks French, English, and Japanese, the latter the result of spending three years attending high school in Kumamoto, Japan.
N’diaye is currently in the midst of her rehabilitation, but she sat down with the Bear Insider to speak about Cal’s trip to Africa and to reflect on her first two years in Berkeley.
Bear Insider: Let’s talk about your trip with the team to Africa. When did you first find out that the team might be going to Africa?
Rama N’diaye: There had been talk for a while about going to Africa, but it wasn’t until the season that (head) coach (Joanne) Boyle started talking about going for sure. Then when they decided they began to look for people who would help them set up the trip.
How did you feel when you finally heard that it was decided that the team would go there?
I was really really really happy to hear that, and then when they told me they would go to Senegal, where I’m from, I was really really crazy. I couldn’t believe it!
This was not your first trip back since you left home for the Japan right? You also went home last summer. In fact, I read that your teammates got together some money to help you buy a ticket home.
Yeah, I was trying to go back home, but I did know that they were going to give me money. I was really surprised. [Former teammate] Krista [Foster] came and gave me $500 and I was really, really surprised to get money from my teammates and it was really touching, to have your teammates care so much about you.
So your family was able to watch you play last summer?
No, I played for the national team. We didn’t have a game at home. We were in Paris, and we were traveling everywhere else. We never played at home, so my mom has never seen me play. My dad did when I was young, as he would drive me to games and practices.
You’ve played since you were 12 years old and your mom still has never seen you play the game?
My mom was really strict. She wanted me to just study. She didn’t want me to go play. She just wanted me to study and stay at home and do my homework.
Has she changed her mind a little bit? Does she see the value of basketball now?
Yeah, she changed her mind before I went to Japan. Even when I was playing, she was saying, “You should stop. You are not going to go anywhere. You are not good, and you’re not getting better either. Better stay here and study, and that’s the priority.” And I would tell her, “I’m getting better. I’m good ma.” But she would never come to see me play. And later when I had the opportunity to go to Japan, and I had different places calling me—France and England—when she heard that, she was like, “Okay, what you did you do? What happened? Why do you have all these places calling for you?” I was like, “Yeah I’ve been playing.” So after that she was okay.
And unfortunately she did not get to see you play this time either, because of course you were injured before the trip. But we’ll get back to your injury the later. Let’s continue on about the trip. In terms of that, what was the most memorable thing to you?
Everything was memorable. I still talk about it. The fact that it was at home, at my house, with my friends and my family, that was really really really great. I will never forget in my life. It was really nice of them to come see my family and talk to them and even if they don’t speak English, they were trying to talk to them and were really really friendly. Everybody—my teammates and coaches, everybody—they were really really really nice.
How much time did you have for everyone to hang out with the family?
We didn’t spend that much time at home. When we got there we were sitting around for only about 30 minutes and then we went to the beach. We spent a lot more time there than we did at home. But they had a chance to see my mom and my dad and everybody.
You’re one of seven kids, and you’re the oldest. What’s the age range for all of you?
I’m 21 now. I have a sister who is 19. I’ve another one who’s 17. I have one who’s 16 now—she’s in Japan, and then the twins—a brother and a sister, they’re twins, and a little brother. He’s five, almost 6.
That’s a big range. When you left for Japan, your baby brother was just a baby, right?
When I left for Japan, he was just like four months old. I didn’t know him then.
For you, this was a return home. But for your teammates, it was an introduction to a brand-new world, a new culture. It must have been interesting that for a change, they were the ones who had the language barrier. They were the ones who have difficulty communicating.
It was fun to see. It was really interesting to see. Sometimes you forget what you went through until you see others go through it. When we were there, no one on the team spoke any Wolof, and everybody around them was speaking Wolof and French. And nobody with us could speak French; maybe Trell [Shantrell Sneed] spoke a little French, but no one spoke Wolof. I saw them trying to speak to people and try to interact with people and try to explain themselves and try to listen to the people. It was really really interesting. I was like, “I did that, huh?” It was cool to see that.
How was it for you to have your two worlds come together a little bit there? Because here your world is college and your teammates, and Senegal, that’s home and family, so how was it to see those merge? How was it for you to be there in that moment, when you thought to yourself, here is my team, and here’s my family?
Wow. What can I say? I was right in the middle, thinking to myself, “I can go with them, or I can go with them…” I could go with both sides.
Sometimes—and it doesn’t have to be going away to another country—but just going away to college, and when you come back home, you realize how things are no longer the same. Whether it’s you who’s different, or you see things with different eyes. Anything like that came up for you?
Yeah, yeah, that’s true. When I was there, you see the differences between the two cultures—when I was home and what I learned there and what I learned living here, or in Japan. I saw that I could live in either place. I could make progress in whatever I wanted to do in my life.
What kind of growth have you seen in yourself since you left home to go to Japan?
I’m more disciplined, I know that, since I went far from home. In Japan, they have their own culture, and you have to adapt. When I was home, you know, your mom your dad teach you a lot of things. Then you go to another country and you don’t have your mom or your dad, and you learn new stuff, even things you might not have wanted to learn. There might have been things that you don’t want to know, but you have to know. Like when I was in Japan, there were things that I was like, “No, I’m not going to do that.” But everybody was doing it, and it wasn’t anything bad, but it was just not something I knew, something in my culture. But I had to do it, and when I did it, it wasn’t bad. I tried something new, and in fact, it was a big plus.
Have your parents noticed how you’ve changed?
Yeah, my mom tells me I’m more quiet. When I was at home, I would say just anything any time, whatever. But after I went to Japan, I became pretty quiet. Even when someone says something, I don’t need to say anything back. “OK, no problem. D’accord.” I don’t need to teach you to be disciplined or stuff like that. I don’t complain. I’m more mature in that way. And being on my own, I’m more responsible.
As the oldest of seven children, you’re probably used to being the role model for your siblings. But now you’re a role-model for all the kids—in your neighborhood, your city, and even your country. Tell me a bit about that—do you feel a sense of responsibility about that?
Yeah, a lot. When you come from Africa, people expect you to be someone, so you can do something others, to help the kids. In my case, I’ve been here studying and playing basketball. Kids would come around to see me, because they heard about me. They would ask tons of questions. I would talk to them, ask them questions, “What do you like to do?” And I would tell them what they would need to do, to study hard and to respect other people. And they really listen. I would go to where I used to play and bring balls or T-shirts and play with the kids, talk to them. Over there, a lot of kids just play sports and don’t go to school. It’s way different than here. So you just have to tell them to go to school, about the opportunities they can have if they go to school.
Did you return to the U.S. with the team, or did you stay on longer?
I stayed on another 10 days.
What was that like?
When I was with the team, I wanted to show them where I’m from, what wedo, what we believe, how things are different than here. After they left, I spent time with my friends and family and did things that I really miss. I went to see my grandmother and stayed there.
How do you think the trip will impact the team?
I think it will bring us really together. You know, when you experience something with another person, something really new for the both of you, that will only bring us closer together. I don’t talk that much—I’m not really shy, but it takes time to learn about someone and about their culture. But now I think they know me better, and I think it’ll be easier, because they know a little more about me, so even if I don’t say anything, they’ll know more where I came from.
There was a story that came out last year about how you struggled with English, even to the point of not knowing what it meant to “work hard”…
No! That was not the case. I’m not that strong, and we’d be practicing, and Coach would tell me, “Work hard,” and stuff like that, and I would think to myself, “I’ve been working hard! So I don’t know what you mean by it.” So then one time, I asked Ashley [Walker], “What does she mean by ‘work hard’? I’ve been doing it. Maybe it’s not enough, but I’ve been doing it.” So Ashley turned to Coach and said, “Rama wants to know what you mean by ‘work hard.’” So then it became that I didn’t understand the words, which wasn’t true. But they just kept making fun of that.
Because it’s a funnier story…
I’ve been taking classes, English classes! I knew what ‘work hard’ meant, even when I was at home.
But you’re clearly much more comfortable now with the language. How is it now for you, in terms of your classes?
I’ve gotten used to it. Sometimes it’s still hard, with some classes, with some professors, it’s hard to focus. But it’s getting really better, even with writing. Here it’s really cool, because you have a tutor to help you, with your homework. You can ask them a question any time, and they will help you.
Let’s talk basketball now. Your first year, Coach Boyle said that it was really tough on you, what with the transition to a new country, and new language, and all that. But the second year, you showed a lot of growth. There were stretches where you were dominant, where you showed what you were capable of.
Yeah, the second year was really easy. First year, it was hard. Everything was new, this basketball language. When I was in Japan, it wasn’t that hard, even when I did not speak the language, because it was high school basketball. And when I first came here, Coach played me at three positions, and I had to learn the plays for all of them. I was really trying, but it was too much for me. It was depressing. Then I went home that summer. And maybe I needed to see my family and be by myself a little bit. But when I was there, I was practicing all the time, post position and wing position. Then when I came back here, I worked hard every day, before practice, after practice. I began to talk to the coaches more, ask more questions. My first year, I was kind of afraid a little bit. Everything was new. Second year, I was more relaxed.
And the beginning of last season, you had the opportunity to start, since Devanei Hampton was injured. But then Devanei came back, and you came off the bench. Was that difficult, playing fewer minutes?
It was not that difficult. It was just something you can do, but you don’t have the opportunity to do it. You go from playing 40 minutes to playing 20—it’s way different. But of course you know that if you have more minutes, you get the chance to show more what you can do.
Then of course, at the end of the season, you got injured in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. We saw it on TV, on replay. What was it like for you in that moment?
I fell, and it was an easy fall, so I never thought... When I was down, it hurt really bad, but I didn’t think that it was so serious. I never had an injury before, so… After that, people were saying, maybe it’s an ACL, and I never even knew what an ACL was; I heard it from Lexi, but I never knew what it really was. After that, I was really scared, and really sad when it turned out to be the injury.
How hard was it for you to be on the bench injured and watch Cal lose to George Washington in that heartbreaking way?
It’s always hard to be on the bench to watch and not be able to do anything about it. I always think, maybe I could have helped, I could have made a shot that would have won it.
Has the team recovered emotionally from the loss?
Yes. I think we’re getting stronger. Sometimes you have to lose to learn from it, to take the next step.
And speaking of recovery, now you’re learning another language—that of medical terms and of rehabilitation.
Yeah. Serious!
How is your rehabilitation going?
It’s getting better. It’s getting really better. I had surgery on April second. And after surgery, even though I was doing rehab every day, my leg was not bending. So when I got back from the trip, I had another surgery to clean out the scar tissue. I’ve been working on the elliptical and doing steps and activities to help with my balance. I’ve been lifting and shooting and balancing.
Do they have a projected return date for you?
No, I don’t know yet. I really don’t want to ask them.
Lexi just returned from a similar injury. Has she been helpful to you in your recovery?
Oh yes. Sometimes I just email her and ask, “Lexi, when you wake up, is your knee really stiff?” And she would tell me, “Yeah. But you’re lucky, it’s summer,” because I guess it feels worse in the cold. She just reassures me.
Have the coaches talked to you at all about whether they expect you to play this year or to redshirt?
Oh, yeah, I will play. They tell me, “You have to do your rehab, so you will be ready for the season.”
Amazing as it may seem, you’re halfway through your career here already.
Yeah, that’s true, huh? I was talking to my mom, and just saying how it has gone really fast. And sometimes, you always think, it’s been two years, what else could I have done? Should have grown more than I have in some way?
And now, all of a sudden, you’re not a new player any more. You’re now a veteran. How is that like with the new players coming in?
The new players, we just have to help them. It’s going be hard for them sometimes, but you just have to show them the way to go. They’re going to feel homesick, but for them, it’s not too far. It’s a couple of hours away; you can go home any time. Compared to me… And it’s college. You’re old enough to move and do something new. I went through some difficult times leaving home, but you get so much from doing that. It’s rich, I know it’s rich. Sometimes I just sit and think about the things I’ve experienced, and I think, “Did I really do that? Yes I did.” Sometimes you choose the more difficult thing, and you benefit from it.
One of the things that Coach Boyle has said is that she really admired you, because she’s not sure that at your age, she could have done what you did, to go really far away and immerse yourself in a new culture over and over again. How does that feel to hear that from your coach?
I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, I did it, so… [laughs]. It’s good to hear that from your coach, that she knows what I went through and that it was hard to be here and that she understands.
Thank you so much for your time, Rama. Best of luck to you in your recovery and for the upcoming season.
