#3 NIKKI TOM
Year: Freshman
Position: Guard
Height: 5-9
Hometown: Fresno, Calif.
High School: Clovis West HS
Major: Business
 
 
Nikki Tom joined her first basketball team as a kindergartner and was immediately hooked. Although she also excelled in volleyball, soccer and track, she knew from day one that basketball was her passion.
 
"I would always go to my older brother's practices and when I saw him playing, I wanted to try it too," Nikki recalled. "I loved it right away, so I kept working at it, and I knew pretty early on that I wanted to play college basketball."
 
Nikki credits her brother for getting her started in the sport, and her father for helping her develop her game as a young hoopster. He was her coach up until she started AAU ball in middle school, and even then, he continued to play a key role in helping her work toward her goal of getting to the next level.
 
"My dad would always help me with getting gym time and working out," Nikki said. "He was there to rebound for me and give me advice."
 
With her family's support, Nikki continued to make a name for herself on the court with a standout career at Clovis West High School. She led her team to four-straight league and Central Section titles, and four appearances in the CIF State Championships, where they advanced to the semifinals three times.
 
Individually, Nikki was a four-time all-state selection and two-time Tri-River Athletic Conference Player of the Year. In addition, she was tabbed the 2021 Central Section Player of the Year.
 
The early success, and a trip to UCI's Elite Camp as a sophomore, put Nikki in motion to achieve her dream of playing college basketball. Although she was also recruited by a couple other California schools, it was the family atmosphere and connection with the coaching staff that made UC Irvine the perfect fit.
 
"The coaching staff reached out to me consistently and always asked how I was doing; it wasn't just basketball, but personally too," Nikki said. "They had everything I was looking for and it was nice I met them so early in the process."
 
Nikki officially committed to UCI in November of her junior year, taking some of the pressure off and allowing her to focus on hanging more banners at Clovis West. It wasn't an easy road with an ankle injury and the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic over her final two high school seasons, but when Nikki looks back on it, she sees the silver linings.
 
"My senior year felt like a full season with league and section games; we just didn't play as many preseason games," Nikki said. "We usually play the Central Section final in a big arena, but because of COVID, we played it on our home floor as the No. 1 seed and we ended up winning. It was really cool to win at home and get to cut down the nets."
 
Now, bringing that championship mentality to Irvine, Nikki hopes to be cutting down more nets in her Anteater career.