Imani Outlaw is a sophomore elementary education major from Cincinnati, Ohio. Despite being on St. Bonaventure’s Division 1 basketball team, Outlaw manages to remain very involved on campus. Fun Facts: Her favorite color is pink, she is part Chinese, and she wears #22 for the Bonnies.
Her Campus: “Why St. Bonaventure?”
Imani Outlaw: “I chose St. Bona’s mainly because of basketball. When I came here to visit, I loved the tight-knit, family vibes that I didn’t get while visiting other schools-I felt it was the best fit right away. I also really enjoy how I can walk up to anyone and have a conversation without it being weird.”
HC: “Do you ever get sick of basketball?”
IO: “Yeah, I do…the practices, meetings, conditioning, lifting all gets repetitive but I have to tell myself I am so blessed-I get to go to this school for free, play basketball, travel; I just have to keep that in mind.”
HC: “What motivates you to keep going?”
IO: “My family motivates me, especially my mom because she is a principle and she has had a lot of success and I want to be just as, if not more, successful as her.”
HC: “Who are your heroes and inspirations?”
IO: “Beyoncé, because with everything she does, she kills it.”
HC: “How do you remain such close friends with the people you compete with for playing time?”
IO: “We are all very competitive. When we are on the court, we go at each other, hard. Off the court, we are able to forget about it and never take anything to heart. That is so important because a lot of teams can’t do that and it causes a lot of chemistry problems. We are very competitive but we also know how important friendship off the court is.”
HC: “What is your favorite place you have traveled so far?”
IO: “Last year we went to Springfield, Massachusetts—where basketball was invented. We got to go to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame which was pretty cool.”
HC: “What has been the biggest struggle you have faced as a scholar-athlete?”
IO: “Trying to balance school work, travel, workouts, lifts, friends and basketball. We are gone so much, I wasn’t in class basically all week. And when we travel, even if we get back at 4 a.m., we have to get up for class and have a full day.”
HC: “How do you balance school and basketball?”
IO: “I’m very organized. My planner is my life. I have everything written down like when I’m eating, when I’m sleeping and working out. I have to do that or else I’d be lost.”
HC: “After college, do you plan on going pro?”
IO: “I would like to see if I have the opportunity to go pro. I would explore the possibility if a country that I am interested in offers me, like France or Spain. “
HC: “When you are in a slump, how do you overcome your obstacles?”
IO: “Just by going harder—that’s the best way to get out of a slump.”
HC: “What’s the best advice you were ever offered?”
IO: “Always try your best. Back when I was a freshman in high school, a senior gave her end-of-the-season speech and was so emotional, our coach had to finish for her. She knew she was good enough to play in college, but since she never gave 100 percent, she wasn’t recruited. So what I got from that was to go as hard as you can and leave everything you have out on that court because you never know what game or practice will be your last. As a freshman, this opened my eyes and made me realize I never wanted to have that sort of regret with anything I did.”
HC: “Are you superstitious?”
IO: “A little bit. I never have to wear the same socks or anything but I do like to have my pre- game rituals. I straighten my hair, and listen to music before the gam—that’s when I get to wear my Beats, only on game day. I have the regular white ear buds for the plane or bus ride.:
HC: “Top 5 pump-up songs…go.”
IO: “’Company’ by Drake, ‘Focused on You’ by Eric Bellinger, ‘Feelin’ Myself’ by Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé, ‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Love on Top’ by Beyoncé.”
HC: “Pre-game routine?”
IO: “After we have breakfast, we have a film meeting where we get familiar with the other team and their players. Next, we have gym shoot-around for an hour. Then I shower, do my hair and by the time that’s done, we have dinner—I always have pasta with grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies. Afterwards we relax and get ready for the game.”
HC: “Favorite female athlete?”
IO: “Skylar Diggins, who went to Notre Dame and Diana Taurasi, who went to UConn, and has been in the WNBA for a while. I love their competitiveness, passio, and enthusiasm for the game—they make me want to be a better player.”
HC: “When you blow a team out of the water, do you feel bad for them?”
IO: “No, it is a part of the game. We have all been there and yeah, it sucks, but I think you can always learn from it and we can also learn from that win, too.”
HC: “What has been your biggest accomplishment so far as an athlete?”
IO: “Back in high school, I was the underdog. When people thought of Imani, they thought of a nice, soft girl and said her game wouldn’t transfer well to college. When I got here, I proved everyone wrong. They never thought I would be where I am today.”
HC: “What message do you try to send to younger athletes?”
IO: Even if you’re not the best player, try to be a good person. With hard work, you can still become the best. A lot of kids look up to the best player but the best player isn’t always the best person. I do this by being involved on campus. I am a peer coach, a member of the black student union and co-president of student-athlete advisory committee.
HC: “Favorite quote?”
IO: “People will forget what you said but they never forget how you made them feel” by Maya Angelou.”