Nevada women’s basketball player Marguerite Effa stands at 6-foot-3. Born in Cameroon, Africa, she immigrated to the United States when she was just 11 years old.
Effa spent her high school years at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, Calif. Averaging 23.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, she was chosen as the Los Angeles City Section Player of the Year twice, and in 2015 helped her team to a conference championship.
Effa spent her undergraduate years at the University of Southern California, where she played in 62 games over three seasons. She got playing time as a true freshman and had a notable standout game against Hope International University where she scored nine points.
“USC was great, but when you feel like you need something more in life, you move onto the next thing,” said Effa. “So I graduated, found Nevada, and it’s been great. Besides the cold.”
To conclude her collegiate career, Effa decided to join the University of Nevada, Reno to play out her final season of collegiate eligibility.
When picking potential transfer locations, Effa said it was the coaching staff at Nevada that set the Wolf Pack out from among the rest of potential landing spots.
“First I loved the coaches, the training and their vision,” Effa said. “I fell in love with the team and the community is amazing, so it was a good opportunity for me to come here.”
Although the coaching staff is a big reason she came to Nevada, it wasn’t the sole reason.
“Another reason I chose Nevada basketball is because they have a plan that is going to give me the opportunity to go overseas.”
After she graduates, Effa plans on remaining involved in basketball, but also to give back to where she came from.
“I plan to go play overseas for at least a couple years,” Effa said. “But my main goal is to go back to my homeland and build schools and teach kids and to help give them the chance to come to America.”
Effa says that one of the people who inspire her to continue playing and doing her best is her father.
“He is a big sportsman, he competed in the Olympics. My whole family supports me of course, they hold me up and always give me good energy. Also my high school coach. She’s been a great inspiration to me and we still talk to this day. I’m actually about to go call her right now!”
In the first exhibition game against William Jessup on Oct. 30, Effa scored 20 points—the most of the night.
“I was just focused on doing me and working hard. Trying to get energy from the crowd and my teammates,” she said of her mindset that night.
Through the opening four games of the year, Effa is averaging 12.3 points per game over an average of 17.8 minutes per game. She is second on the team in shooting percentage, with .538.
Additionally, her 21 defensive rebounds led the team. Her aggressiveness in the paint will be key as the Wolf Pack opens up conference play against Air Force on Saturday, Dec. 7 in the Virginia Street Gym.
Madeleine Chinery can be reached at rfreeberg@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
