Coach Gives Her Squad Foreign Flair

Inge Nissen has been a valuable assistant coach at Florida International for two reasons: She knows basketball and she knows foreign languages.

That’s a valuable tool at Florida International, which has players from Slovakia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Sweden.

“She’s been here 10 years and she’s been very instrumental in securing our international student-athletes,” FIU coach Cindy Russo said. “Inge spoke many languages to get them over here. She used her French, her German. I think she used about eight languages in all.”

Florida International for years has drawn foreign students to its Miami campus, including many from Eastern Europe. Russo said working in that area was especially difficult before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Nissen made the difference.

“In the very beginning, she bridged the gap,” Russo said. “I don’t know what we would have done without her. Most East European countries were still Communist countries then, so a lot of their mentality we didn’t understand. Inge did that.

“Now, kids come out of there less suspicious, a little more trusting. They’re learning English in high school rather than Russian. I think they adjust a little more quickly.”

Russo finds her team’s international tinge to be a good recruiting tool with U.S. players.

“We sell that, that you get a chance to be on a team and have European friends, maybe go over there in the summertime and spend time with them,” Russo said.

The foreign players also have helped make Florida International a big winner. The Golden Panthers are ranked 22nd and through 16 games had lost only once.

Getting defensive

Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw always has been an awesomely talented offensive player. Now, coach Pat Summitt says, Holdsclaw is starting to play at that same level on the defensive end.

“Chamique and I sat down and had a very good one-on-one conversation,” Summitt said. “It was up to Chamique to go out and perform after that. I think she’s really committed to the defensive end and that makes a significant difference in how we play, offensively and defensively.

“Her ability to make steals, make plays, she’s running the floor better - I’m really pleased with what Chamique is doing to make our team better.”

Drawing a crowd

Southwest Missouri State freshman Jackie Stiles brought out a crowd when the Lady Bears played at Wichita State.

A crowd of 6,882 - the largest ever for a Wichita State game - turned out to watch Stiles score 39 points in her first college game in her home state. Stiles is from Claflin, Kan., a town of 678 that’s 90 miles northwest of Wichita.

She made 12 straight shots during one stretch, but even that wasn’t enough to keep the 20thranked Lady Bears from losing their second consecutive game, 87-82.