For as long as Zoe Blackwell could remember, her mother has been coaching her. From club basketball to her prep career at Middleton High School in Caldwell, Idaho, she has been under the tutelage of her mother.
For the first time in a long time that no longer is the case, as Blackwell begins her collegiate basketball career for UW women's basketball coach Heather Ezell.
"It's definitely weird coming in, having no family connections or anything. But, I think it's better for me to grow and get new opinions other than my parents," Blackwell said.
Her mother, Marianne, guided Middleton High School to an overall record of 21-5 with her daughter leading the way as the team's points and assists per game leader. The mother-and-daughter duo finished as runner-ups in the class-6A Idaho state tournament, capping off what would be the last time Blackwell played under her mother.
Though balancing the relationship between the team and family was tough at times, Blackwell credits her successes on and off the court to her mother.
"It definitely had its moments, but overall I loved it," Blackwell said of playing for her mother. "I got pushed harder, I learned to work harder and you just kind of get the wrath of everything, especially being the coach's kid. I think in the long run it helped me and helped me grow as a player."
Marianne was more than just a coach as well, as she also played collegiately in the Mountain West at BYU in the early 2000s and competed in the NCAA tournament during both seasons she played at BYU, even making the Sweet Sixteen in 2002.
Blackwell has found herself in the same exact league her mother competed in over 20 years ago and the competition hasn't gotten any easier—even if it looks a little different. Blackwell is prepared for the challenges she'll face at UW, though, as she's known she's wanted to play basketball collegiately since she was a little girl.
"Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to follow in [my mother's] footsteps and play at the next level," Blackwell said.
Blackwell committed to play for UW before even stepping foot onto campus, as she immediately felt a connection to the program from the conversations she had with the coaches, alongside what she had heard about the community behind UW.
"I committed before I came on my official visit, and as soon as I stepped on campus I thought, 'this is perfect,'" Blackwell said. "The coaches, the girls, I heard the community shows up great and so I was really excited about that.
"Just talking to the coaches, it seemed like everything I wanted. They believed in me, which was a big part."
Though Blackwell has immediately noticed a change in pace competing at a higher level, she is willing to do whatever it takes to find herself on the court during her freshman season. The 5-foot-8-inch point guard particularly takes pride on the defensive side of the ball, always embracing the challenge of guarding the other team's best player.
"I think definitely on this team, I want to be more defensive minded, which is more of my strong suit," Blackwell said. "I can attack and get open shots, but I love guarding the best play on the other team and just getting after it on the defensive side."
Ezell and her staff have taken notice of Blackwell's defensive capabilities through the Cowgirls' summer practices, something that could certainly carve out a role on the court for Blackwell this coming season.
"The few times that we played, you can see that she has a knack for the defensive side," Ezell said. "We're always looking for people that can defend and that's what's going to get you on the court and probably keep you on the court."
Not only was Blackwell's defensive play impressive, but Ezell also noted her ball handling and decision-making as a true point guard.
"I think her IQ as a point guard is huge, and I think she really took on that role this summer," Ezell said. "It seemed that every time we were playing and she was controlling the team that she was on as a point guard, she was just making the right passes and getting the ball in the right people's hands, and that team seemed to always win those games."
No matter how you slice it, Blackwell's motivation and defensive-minded attitude is something the Cowgirls will take advantage of as they prepare for a season including eight other newcomers on the roster. Regardless of what role she ends up playing on this team, Blackwell has one simple goal for the season: and that's to stack wins.
"I can't wait until we start winning," Blackwell said. That's my main goal, is to win, so we're just going to keep working one day at a time to get there."
