Felecity Willis on fire as year opens

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior guard Felecity Willis (23) dribbles down court at McKale Center during the Wildcats' 83-54 win over Slovan Bratislava Friday. Willis scored a game-high 21 points against Bratislava.

"My goal is to be a leader both on and off the court and keep the scoring high," Willis said.

Her 8 of 11 shooting and seven rebounds started off the season for Willis on the right note.

She began at the UA in 1996 after graduating from Apple Valley High School in Southern California.

In high school, Willis was both a star on the basketball court and on the softball field, where she played shortstop. Her list of accomplishments runs long, with highlights including first team All-CIF, MVP of the Citrus Belt League and member of the California Super Team where she was one of the top 10 players in the state.

"U of A was the best choice for me," Willis said. "Especially considering my other choices which were Washington State and San Diego State. That and the academics and coaching staff brought me here."

At the UA, she is keeping up her Michael Jordan role in sports, making significant appearances on both the women's basketball and softball teams.

"Basketball is my first love," Willis said. "Softball was just my sport on the side to keep me busy in the summer.

"But after six years straight of jumping back and forth from basketball and softball, I knew I was going to be missing softball if I didn't play it here."

Last year, Willis started two of the six games she played at second base for the Wildcats' nationally top-ranked softball team. In eight at bats, she had two hits, one of which was during an NCAA regional game.

"I am friends with all my teammates," Willis said, explaining her love for UA softball. "And being at the 'fallball' tourney made me so happy."

She added that her most memorable softball moment came at fall practice in October when she hit her first home run, a grand slam. Also ranking high on her list of fond memories was being part of last year's Pacific 10 Conference champions and playing in the College World Series championship game, where UA ultimately fell short and was upset by Fresno State 1-0.

On the court, Willis was a 1998 Honorable Mention for the All-Pacific 10 Conference. Her career scoring total stands at 367 points.

"My favorite basketball memory was defeating Stanford last year," she said.

The Wildcats took the Cardinal down 91-90 last year in their first meeting with the team at home.

As if the act of juggling two Division I collegiate sports wasn't enough, Willis adds her studies to her list of priorities, majoring in communications at UA. She said the hardest part of being a college athlete is the workload of being a student, as well.

"It's very hard," Willis said. "Especially when you're traveling because you miss a lot of school. You miss a lot of work, and right now the important part of my classes is the note-taking, and I'm missing that. You just have to spend extra time off the court in the study rooms."

A nice outlet from the pressures and expectations of Willis as a student athlete is the pleasant distraction of her parents' presence in Tucson.

Charles and Gloria Willis moved here about eight months ago to be closer to their younger child.

"I think my dad was going through withdrawals," Willis said. "After attending all my high school games, I just don't think he could settle into only seeing two games a year."

Willis will allow her family's close support, as well as her determination in sports, to help her and the basketball team carry out a successful season.

"Obviously, we want to go undefeated (in) preseason," she said. "We want to win the Pac-10 and be in the NCAA finals. And hopefully be in the Final Four."

The first stepping stone on the way to the Final Four begins this weekend at the Nebraska CableVision Classic beginning tomorrow, when the Wildcats first square off against Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Kate Longworth can be reached via e-mail at Kate.Longworth@wildcat.arizona.edu.