Detroit sophomore guard Sierra Spaude (Sturgeon Bay, WI/Sturgeon Bay/WI La Crosse) is featured in this week's women's basketball Q&A.

Why did you choose to transfer from WI-La Crosse to Detroit?
I didn't want to go to La Crosse in the first place. I wanted to run track at Marquette, but senior year I decided I wanted to play basketball. So, La Crosse was the only school that I was accepted to that I thought had my major, but I ended up changing majors anyways, so it really didn't make a difference. When I originally went to La Crosse I thought maybe I'd run track too, but then I decided I just wanted to play basketball and La Crosse's basketball program was not what I expected at all. The coach was not really into the whole fast breaking/3-point shooting thing, which is kind of what I do. There was also 20-plus people on the team, which wasn't really a good fit. La Crosse as a school was great, but I knew wanted to transfer at Christmas to play basketball somewhere else and I was hoping it would be better than D-III and when I heard Coach Rad(emacher) was leaving, it just kind of worked out.

Why did you decide, originally, that you were going to run track and not play basketball?
Track is what I was originally good at. Freshman year of high school I was not on varsity basketball; I was the one person from my class that wasn't on the varsity team. Track was something that I was good at in middle school. Then in high school it was fun because when you're fast it is fun. As I got better in basketball, it got to be more fun and track didn't get old, but basketball there's so many more ways to improve and track you can only run so fast. When I saw how much I was improving through high school in basketball, I thought it'd be fun to continue that and see how good I could actually get.

What events did you participate in track?
Just about everything. My specialties were 300-hurdles, 100-hurdles, triple jump, long jump and high jump, a little bit. I did relays and regular sprints, too.

How have you coped to having to sit out a year due to the transfer rule and then getting hurt prior to the start of this season?
I don't really know. Freshman year I didn't really play at La Crosse, which was hard enough because at least I knew I could play. Sophomore year it was a little easier because at least I knew I couldn't play and I was saving a year. Last year it was kind of a promise of better things to come. I got through it because I knew the next year I'd be able to play. This year, when I got hurt, I don't know how I'm still here playing basketball. Everything that I thought this season would be, went right out the window the first day of school.

What was the feeling when you checked in at the scorer's table for your first game in a Titan uniform?
That was pretty fun. I remember going up to the scorer's table and thinking, 'Where do I check in?' I just remember that that's the one thing that I should've been watching on the bench was where my teammates checked in. Sometimes they ask you who are you going in for and I have to think, 'Wait, who am I going in for?' It was early in the game, too, so I was ready to go; pretty pumped.

What was the experience like when you played in your home state of Wisconsin earlier this year?
It could've been better. It was so fun to have all my family and friends there though. My mom figured that we had over 100 people there. I knew a lot of my family members were coming, but wasn't sure how many Sturgeon Bay basketball fans in high school would've come to the game. Still, the amount of people that came, was very cool and being able to see them after the game. A rematch will be nice.

How long have you been playing basketball?
Sixth or seventh grade. I went to Corpus Christi Catholic School and played on the Parochial team and that was just because all my friends did it. It was a very small school; my class was 15 people. Some of them went over to the middle school, I went too. Basketball was a little bigger there because they had the A Team and the B Team, which was a big deal. I just stuck with it through high school. It wasn't like I picked up a basketball at birth or anything, it was more of a soccer ball.

Did you play soccer?
I started playing soccer in kindergarten; that was my original sport. I played summer soccer and then when it started conflicting with track, I chose track over soccer.

Who has your biggest influence been throughout your playing career?
I think I'd have to say my high school coach, Ben Rikkola. He was my JV coach my freshman year and our team was so fun. I learned so much. Everything I learned about basketball, probably happened that year. He focused a lot on individual skills. He just made it so much fun. We'd play H-O-R-S-E after practice and I always wanted to stay after to practice with him. Plus, he played college basketball so he could relate and he was closer to our ages. He was also the assistant for the varsity team, so he stuck with me through high school.

What has been your best basketball moment thus far in your playing career?
Senior year we won Regionals for the first time in school history and that was a lot of fun; it was kind of a big deal. That was just really fun as a team.

What professional athlete do you admire the most and why?
Brett Favre. Hands down, Brett Favre is the man. He is the best athlete. My dream is to meet him. I admire him because he loves the game. He plays like he did when he was right out of college because he has that passion for the game; he gets so excited when he wins. This year was the same as when he won the Super Bowl in '96. He's really down to earth. He plays his sport and he does it well; he's a true athlete.

Is there any significance to #5?
I was a different number every year in high school. Every time I wanted a number, I would have my heart set on something and then someone else would want it. So, five was the first uncontested number where I wanted it and no one challenged me. There was also an adidas commercial that had Kevin Garnett and the tagline was 'It takes five players' and I thought that was clever.

Do you have any pregame superstitions?
No. However, I do pray before every game and during the National Anthem I check to make sure I have the right jersey on.

Do you have any nicknames?
People call me 'Si', like the letter 'c'.

What is one thing that people would be surprised to find out about you?
People would be surprised to find out that I can figure out a Rubik's Cube. It takes me about a minute or a minute and a half. I was introduced to it at La Crosse on a road trip. I really like puzzles though, not like Sudoku, but like 3-D puzzles.

I also love painting and playing piano. I like watercolor and acrylics the most and in terms of subjects, I'd say I like landscapes the most. If art schools offered basketball programs, that's what I'd be doing. But, they don't really go together. In high school, I was that kid that played in our basketball game and would then play in the pep band for the guys' game. I played saxophone and clarinet; woodwinds in general.

Where did you work this past summer?
I worked for Special Olympics. It's called Adaptive Athletics in Milwaukee. The afternoon program was a combination of nutrition, strength training, speed and agility; it was kind of like a day camp for life skills. But, at night, we coached. We had an integrated league, so kids with and without disabilities played together. It was awesome!

What are your thoughts on Coach Rademacher?
There's really no one else I'd rather play for and I'm not sure how I got so lucky. She's a great motivator. I think that our pregame speeches are AWESOME and I think everyone looks forward to those. Also, you can just really tell how much she cares about us. She's so much fun, very energetic and passionate about what she does. You can tell that she's optimistic and she believes in us sometimes more than we do, but when we see that, it rubs off on us.

What does it mean to you to be a Titan?
Being a part of a really diverse family with the same goals. Also, it's being part of something that's bigger than just you. We're representing our team, but also our school and the City of Detroit in a positive light.