Q&A with Simone Egwu

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Sophomore center Simone Egwu and the Virginia women’s basketball team hits the road for two ACC games this week. The Cavaliers travel to No. 14 North Carolina for a Friday night showdown at 6:30 p.m. on the ACC’s Regional Sports Network. Virginia will have a quick turnaround playing at Clemson Sunday in a 2 p.m. contest. Egwu recently caught up with VirginiaSports.com to talk about the competition in the ACC, her dream job of being an ambassador for the United States and her love for crochet.

Question: How fun is it to play in the ACC?
Egwu: First of all, the ACC is a great conference, and maybe I’m biased, but I think it’s one of the best in the country. It’s really fun. It’s a challenge every single night. Anybody can take anybody any night; you never know which team is going to win. As for us this season, it’s definitely been a learning, growing season. We have some first years who are young and who are really getting their feet wet this year. We are kind of figuring each other out and I think coming into ACC play, we have a pretty good grasp on it.

Question: What have you learned the most since last season?
Egwu: I would say since last year I have gotten a lot more calm. Last year I had some first year jitters and there was a lot more panic. This year I have gotten a lot better and just catching the ball and taking a deep breath.

Question: Is there anything special about why you wear the No. 4?
Egwu: I was No. 4 all through AAU up until I got to high school when all the numbers were done by size. So obviously I was the biggest girl so I got stuck with the No. 50. When I came to college and 50 was taken, I wanted to go back to No. 4. I like being a big girl with a little number!

Question: Have you thought about what you are going to major in yet?
Egwu: I am majoring in government because I am really great at arguing and want to go to law school.

Question: Do you have a dream job?
Egwu: Honestly I would love to do diplomacy stuff – maybe branching out to the Middle East because I feel that’s a part of the world we don’t really know that much about. I am actually taking an Arabic class right now. Our relationship with them is something that has been tense for awhile so I would love to do something like that. Potential ambassador from the United States!

Question: What is your interest in that part of the world and the Arabic language?
Egwu: I just kind of jumped into it. I liked that it had a different alphabet. I wanted to minor in Arabic, initially, and so you have to take a lot of classes in Middle Eastern Studies to do that. I just loved the language and the alphabet and the way it’s written. It just kind of pulled me in.

Question: Have you had a favorite class at UVa?
Egwu: My favorite class would have to be Black Women Writers taught by Lisa Woolfork who I love – she is a great teacher. We basically just read a lot of stuff by black women writers and discussed it. I took it in the summer so it was a straight two-and-a-half hours of talking about these stories and writers and what it meant.

Question: What do you like to do for fun?
Egwu: This has been the lamest winter break ever! We have been trapped here with nothing to do! Fun fact? Jayna (Hartig) and I got into crochet and I made my friend a scarf. That’s what I did over winter break!

Question: Why did you want to get into crochet?
Egwu: My grandma used to crochet when I was little and she taught me. That was kind of our thing – crocheting and watching ice skating. I just thought, “we could do this, this could be fun!” So we made scarves. Jayna made her sister one!

Question: What is your favorite spot on Grounds?
Egwu: O-Hill. I love the sandwiches, they are the best thing here. Croissant with turkey, bacon, Muenster cheese, lettuce and tomato!