CHINO HILLS, Calif. — Erica Collins accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, after receiving several offers to play college basketball.  The new “Rebel” will begin her collegiate-level career at the NCAA Division 1 school this fall.

“My sports goals are to play professional basketball whether it’s in the WNBA or overseas,” says Erica. “But once the ball starts dropping, I would like to use my experience in sports to be a sports agent or a graphic designer for a professional sports team.”

Erica has been playing basketball since she was five years old.  She played soccer and softball for a few years when she was younger but stopped when she started playing basketball competitively.

The 6’2” power forward joined the varsity basketball team at Chino Hills High School in her freshmen year. Despite the stress of being around her upper-classmen teammates, she said she felt confident in her abilities from her experience in travel ball.

She is now a senior and graduates this May.  Erica usually plays in her travel league in the off-season during spring but is taking a hiatus from basketball to avoid injury when she heads into college in fall.

To stay conditioned and busy in the interim, she throws discus and shot put for the varsity track and field team.  “I can’t just sit around,” she says. But there are other benefits like the weights and trying something new.  Erica hits the gym every day, meets with a Claremont College coach at a private track, and trains with her own basketball coach weekly.  “I enjoy taking care of myself.”

Erica achieved Scholar Athlete throughout high school. Athletes who earn a 3.5 GPA or greater during the season of their varsity sports receive this honor and are awarded a patch. She was the freshman and sophomore class president, ASB athletic commissioner in her junior year, and ASB executive board member and activities commissioner in her senior year.

Erica’s sports achievements

2018-19

• Represented the West Region at Jr. NBA World Championship
• Baseline League First Team
• All-Tournament – San Dimas Holiday Classic
• Husky Defensive Player of the Year
• Husky Impact Player of the Year
• First-year starter
• Quarterfinalist – CIF Division 2AA

2019-20

• Cali-High All-State Team Nominee
• First Round – CIF Division 1
• Team Captain

2020-2021

• All CIF SS Division 2A
• Cali-High All-State Team Nominee
• Team Captain
• Baseline League First Team All-League
• Husky team MVP
• Quarterfinalist – CIF Division 2AA

2021-22

• Team Captain
• SBLive Athlete of the Week (Dec. 13-19)
• Inland Empire Athlete of the Week (Dec. 13-19)
• Second Round – CIF Division 2A
• Reached 1000 points
• Second Team All CIF
• First Team Baseline League
• Team MVP
• Inland Empire First-Team

Besides her success as a student and an athlete, Erica helped start a mental health awareness week at CHHS with the ASB director Michelle Chiotti. They pledged to make mental health a priority. This led to the creation of a wellness center on campus designed for students.  During the height of the pandemic in her junior year, she recognized the challenges of fellow athletes.  She also helped to start an athlete spotlight to show off Husky athletes for all the work they’ve done.

Erica appreciates the mental aspect of sports. She says you can be the best competitor on the court or field but if you aren’t focused mentally, you’ve already lost the game.  Erica described the pressure she put on herself, questioning what she could have done better.  She says she realized this is how life works and that not everything goes her way.

She reached a critical breaking point in her freshman year. Despite being a natural athlete, expectations from others and her own self-doubt created a lot of pressure for her.  She eventually spoke to her family, and they helped her get into therapy.

Erica learned to change her mindset. She says she was so focused on the end goal that she lost herself in the process but has learned to slow down and feels she’s gotten back to who she used to be.  She trusts her coaches, teammates, teachers and parents and hopes other students will do the same about anxiety and depression.

“The greatest lesson I have learned,” says Erica, “is that we are human, and we all struggle in our own ways so do not be afraid to ask for help.”

While she still has struggles, having open communication with her family helps her get through them.  “You can’t assume no one can help, you have to trust people and processes.”  She says she’s grown a lot and hopes to help others.

One of the things that attracts her to UNLV is the depth of resources the school offers for student and athlete support.  Erica was also impressed by the athletic facilities and the breadth of education in her chosen field of study. “I want to get involved with sports and Vegas is growing in that industry,” she says.  “Plus, it felt like home.”  She is also interested in the Intercollegiate Professional Sports Management (IPSM) master’s program.

Erica credits her parents, Heather and Michael, for all their support, as well as her sister, Ashley, who attends and plays basketball for Willamette University in Oregon.  She says her best high school memories are playing her first two years of high school basketball alongside her sister and making it to the quarterfinals.

She’s also very grateful. “Being a female athlete – we don’t always get the love and support so thank you to those who came out to the games.”

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