Nina Rickards' coaches set her on path from New York to Louisville women's basketball team

Louisville guard Nina Rickards likely will be in the starting lineup Sunday when the No. 19 Cardinals open ACC play at Miami.

Though Rickards has had a successful basketball career, her journey has taken many twists and turns since she started playing organized basketball in sixth grade in Queens, New York.

"I was a talker. In New York, you got to talk; you got to be able to hold your own," said Rickards, who started playing basketball in the park with her male cousins. "You build a name for yourself out there. So, once they know you can hoop, you get respect off the court, too."Rickards owes much of her success — on and off the court — to two coaches: Jessica Villaplana and Clare Droesch.

Rickards and her best friend played on their middle school basketball team, and their talent garnered the attention of opposing coaches. Villaplana was one of the coaches who recruited Rickards for her AAU team.

Villaplana left voicemails for Rickards and eventually showed up at the park where Rickards played and convinced her to come to an AAU practice.

Villaplana also helped Rickards get into Christ the King High School, where she went on to win a CHSAA Class AA Federation championship.

During her freshman year of high school, Rickards received a phone call that changed her life: Her mother was in a bad car accident on the way home from work.

Rickards stayed with her grandmother for a while while her mom recovered from her injuries.

She woke up at 5:30 a.m. to take two buses and two trains to get to school.

However, when her mother was well enough to return home, they found all their stuff was moved outside their apartment by the landlord.

Rickards said they were illegally evicted, and while her mother dealt with this issue in court, she continued to stay with her grandmother.

About the same time, Villaplana heard from one of the Christ the King coaches that Rickards was skipping practice, and when she was at practice, she wasn't giving 100%.

"I (was) just living. I stay with my grandmother. She's babying me, spoiling me, doing whatever I want. You know, I wasn't focused," Rickards told Villaplana.

Villaplana offered Rickards a place to stay, and Rickards' mother told her she should accept Villaplana's offer. Villaplana ensured Rickards got to school and practice on time, providing more structure in her life.

Rickards thought her stay would be for only a week, but it ended up being much longer.

"Jess made sure I got to school on time. I had breakfast in the morning. She gave me a little allowance for lunch," Rickards said. "She was making sure I was taken care of, and from the end of my freshman year to now, I still stay with Jess (in New York)."

Villaplana accompanied Rickards on her college visits; Rickards said she's basically like a second mom to her.

When Rickards was a junior at Christ the King, she was eager for more playing time on varsity. That's when she built a special bond with Droesch, an assistant coach. Droesch played for Christ the King, where she was a high school All-American and won three Federation championships. She continued her basketball career at Boston College and then played overseas in Portugal. After her playing career concluded, Droesch returned to the U.S. to start her coaching career.

"I finally started listening to what she was saying and how much she believed in me because she would only get on me because she saw that I could take myself to the next level," Rickards said. "It just clicked, and I just went hard every practice. I did everything as if it was like a game-rep speed. And from there, it's like I just took off."

Droesch was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2011, but that didn't keep her from the sideline; after the cancer spread to her spine, she began coaching from a wheelchair.

Christ the King finished 29-1 during Rickards' junior year; its only loss was in the Federation championship.

In May 2018, Droesch died from the cancer she had battled for 6 ½ years; she was 36 years old.

"After we lost my junior year, it just felt like everything's crashing down," Rickards said. "That happened, and then she ended up passing. We were just going downhill."

Before her senior year, Rickards switched her jersey to No. 15 to honor Droesch.

Christ the King won the CHSAA Class AA Federation championship during Rickards' senior year. Rickards said they had to win the championship for Droesch.

"I still wear (15) on my chain and got it tattooed on my back. She's with me every step of the way. I'm glad I can say I'm making her proud," Rickards said.

After high school, Rickards signed with Florida and played four seasons with the Gators.

Rickards transferred to the Cardinals this season as a fifth-year senior. She is averaging seven points and 4.2 rebounds per game for Louisville (11-2), which has received significant contributions from new transfers including Kiki Jefferson, Sydney Taylor and Rickards.

After Rickards started the season as a reserve, her tenacity at both ends of the court propelled her into the starting lineup.

Last week against then-No. 23 Washington, Rickards had six points, four rebounds and five steals in the Cardinals' 59-51 victory.

"(Nina) really played well in that first half. It gave us a lift, and that's what we're going to continue to need from her," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said.

Rickards said she wanted to come to Louisville so she could play with other good players and make a push for an NCAA championship.

As the Cardinals move into conference play beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday against the host Hurricanes, Rickards will look to set the pace on offense and "lock up" Miami's best player on defense.

"I did not think I would be here. I did not think I would win a State Federation ring in high school; there was nothing like that. I just didn't see myself being as good as I am," Rickards said. "It's been a journey, for sure."

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville WBB: Nina Rickards set to start ACC basketball opener at UM