Center keeps mom in mind during Cure event
By Matt Stevens
Feb. 17, 2009 5:58 a.m.
For UCLA junior center Moniquee Alexander, watching the hundreds of pink shirts fill Pauley Pavilion on Saturday meant a lot.
As important as Saturday’s game was from a statistical and standings perspective, it was another step toward closure for Alexander.
Saturday was for her mom.
Alexander’s mother, Paulette Prince, died of breast cancer when Moniquee was 11 years old.
So all the pre-game festivities ““ the carnival, the face painting, the autograph sessions, the pink shirts in the crowd and the pink jerseys on the court ““ all had a special meaning for the junior in her second “pink” game.
The 1,500-plus fans dressed in that symbolic color reminded her that she wasn’t alone.
“It means a lot to me,” Alexander said. “It definitely is getting the awareness out. It definitely gets women to get out there and get checked. But I think the biggest thing is that I see that it’s not just me that is affected by it ““ it is people who are still being affected by it and people in the future who are being affected by it.”
The UCLA women’s basketball team, in conjunction with the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (WBCA), held its First Annual Carnival for the Cure, helping to raise money for organizations dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.
UCLA coach Nikki Caldwell has been a crusader for finding a cure, and along with a wide array of support, she helped put together Saturday’s event.
“Breast cancer is something we’ve got to find a cure for,” she said simply. “We got to get the word out there. … I thought we had a great turnout.”
Arizona State Sun Devils coach Charli Turner Thorne is part of the WBCA Board of Directors and was equally pleased about the event’s success.
“Just thank you, thank you for helping the cause,” she said. “I think it’s just incredible that we as a women’s basketball community have a single cause we are united to help support.”
Alexander, who finished Saturday’s game with 10 points and five rebounds, plays with her mother in mind.
“It was a long fight,” she said of her mother’s battle with cancer. “It was about a year, and eventually she passed on. I think it definitely made me a stronger person. It enabled me to take on the adversities that hit every day as far as school and basketball.”
Alexander was bombarded by reporters after Saturday’s game, all with questions about the misfortune she has endured. She remained composed, truly looking as though the game on Saturday was another step towards closure, after an emotionally draining first “pink” game against Washington a year ago.
When she spoke about her mother this time around, she spoke with a smile.
“She worked at Kaiser and everybody knew her,” Alexander said. “She was always such a joyful person, and I think she placed that on me.”
