#10 JAYDE CADEE
Year: Freshman
Position: Guard
Height: 5-11
Hometown: Macleod, Victoria, Australia
High School: Ivanhoe School
Major: Undeclared


It's no surprise Jayde Cadee discovered her love for basketball at a very young age considering her strong family ties to the sport.
 
"I started playing basketball when I was eight," Jayde said. "My whole family grew up playing the game, or were involved in the game somehow, so it was natural for me to start as well."
 
The connection with the sport goes back to her grandfather who coached in the National Basketball League (NBL), which is Australia's premier professional league. Both her parents, Grant and Sandra, played in the NBL and WNBL, respectively. Following his playing career, Grant moved into management positions in the NBL before working as an agent and coach.
 
The ties go beyond Jayde's immediate family as her uncle, Robbie Cadee, competed for Australia at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, and later went on to coach the women's national team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Her aunt, Debbie, also represented the Australian women at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Their son, and Jayde's cousin, Jason, is currently playing for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL.
 
In addition, another uncle, Ted Graham, was one of the youngest players to ever make the Australian National Team.
 
"I'm so grateful to have grown up in a family with so much experience in all aspects of basketball because I've had endless support in everything I've done," Jayde said.
 
The support fueled her passion for basketball. She never strayed from the sport, spending all of her junior years playing club for the Bulleen Boomers. Jayde was a key member of Bulleen's state title teams in 2012, 2014, 2016 and in 2018, where her father was the head coach. Along with fellow UCI freshman, Sophia Locandro, they also helped the Victorian Metro State Team win the 2018 Australian national championship.
 
"It was always fun to represent my state at national tournaments, but club was really what I enjoyed the most because you work all year with the same team," Jayde said. "We had a really good group with a lot of girls at the elite level who are coming to college in the States, so it was a lot of fun."
 
Despite all of her success, Jayde was not set on continuing her career at the collegiate level. It wasn't until UC Irvine head coach Tamara Inoue reached out to her in April 2018 that she really started to consider the college route.
 
"Coach T came and watched our Australian National Championships and got in contact with me after that tournament," Jayde recalled. "I didn't know a lot about the college system, but after talking to the coaches I fell in love with it. Now I can't believe that I didn't want to do this the whole time because it is such a great opportunity."
 
Taking advantage of the new opportunity hasn't been easy for Jayde, who moved over 7,000 miles away from her family and support system in Melbourne, but the close-knit bond shared by the UCI players and coaches has made the transition a little easier.
 
"The bond the players have with each other and with the coaches is like a second family," Jayde said. "I am really excited to be a part of that, especially being so far away from home. It is such a supportive and fun group to be around."
 
With her teammates helping her get settled in, Jayde is excited to return the favor on the court this year. A pure 3-point shooter, she is looking to help the Anteaters win their first Big West Tournament title in 25 years.
 
"As a team, we want to win the conference and get to the NCAA Tournament," Jayde said. "Personally, I want to contribute any way I can to the team's success. I'm really excited because the coaches put a big emphasis on being able to hit threes to open up the floor and I think I can fit into that game plan really well."