Pepperdine basketball players will take Waves fans behind the scenes as the orange and blue of Malibu plays its 2003-04 women's basketball schedule. We've also added a link so you can submit your own questions for players to respond in their next entry. Being a collegiate basketball player creates an interesting journal, but being a collegiate basketball player at perhaps the most beautiful school in the country that is flocked with celebrities is a whole other story. Enjoy...

Feb. 23, 2004

Shanell Law
Junior, Forward
Diary Entry No. 12

Hey everyone! This is junior Shanell Law on the Pepperdine women's basketball team. Everything is going exceptionally well right now. We have won six games straight. We are excited but we're not letting it get to our heads. We have a tough road ahead of us so we're just trying to stay focused in order to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. We really have to be prepared for every game!

We had Santa Clara and San Diego this week and we won both games. The Santa Clara game was a nice Valentine's gift for us. We took care of them pretty fast and ended up winning 73-53. That trip to San Diego and Santa Clara was our last regular season road trip with the exception of Loyola Marymount tomorrow. Since the Lions' school is located in Los Angeles, its only about 20 minutes away from Pepperdine. Therefore, we just take a day trip up there. Anyway, other than the West Coast Tournament in Santa Clara and the NCAA Tournament, we are done with airports and hotels for a while. It's been nice to sleep our beds for two weeks in a row!

It's hard to think that this season is almost over. We've had a tough year on the court because of things we couldn't really prevent (like injuries and so forth) but it made us a lot closer as a team. We have a real strong team bond and the chemistry is great. I'm always so thankful for what I have here at Pepperdine. Ten years from now I may not remember our record and what team we beat, but I'll always remember the funny things that happened on our trips and the friendships I made.

Well, to let you know a little more about me. I am a junior on the team and I usually play the 2-guard. I hurt my ankle pretty bad this summer and tweaked it again early in the season. Therefore, it has hampered my play somewhat but I'll never use that as an excuse. Let's just say that after the season I plan to let it heal really well so I'll be ready to go full force next year. Anyway, I went to Washington Prep in Los Angeles so I grew up around Pepperdine. Right now I am interning with the Pepperdine Associate Athletics Director, Roxanne Levenson, because I have an interest in going into sports someday. I hope to work in an organization that allows kids to reach success through sports. So, during a typical week, I go to school fulltime, practice, travel, and work in the athletics department. As you can tell, I don't have much free time, but I know all the hard work will pay off in my future.

Well, I better get to bed because we have a tough game tomorrow against LMU. It's been a pleasure letting you into a bit of my life. I appreciate all the support we receive from our fans...we can never thank you enough!

Shanell Law