Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Washington on November 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
2:00 PM
Women's Basketball
vs Washington
The University of Utah Athletics
Niyah Becker: Finding Her Home Away From Home
1/9/2019 10:52 AM | Women's Basketball
By Mady White
Athletics Communications Student Assistant
Moving out of the state, let alone to a new country, can be the most challenging part of an incoming freshman's college journey. On top of leaving home, freshman Niyah Becker also has the challenge of competing in arguably the best women's basketball conference in the country in the Pac-12.
Still adjusting to the college world, the 6'2" Winnipeg, Manitoba native comes to the University of Utah more prepared than most freshman. Battling being away from home and missing family can be distracting for athletes, but Becker has been in the situation before and knows how to handle it.
"Last year I played on a prep team in a different providence and I lived in Ontario for my senior year of high school," said Becker. "I did not see my parents and family until Christmas again. My parents did come and visit, but that experience helped me to get used to being on my own and it has helped prepare for college. I will always miss my family and home will always be home, but I have gotten a lot more independent from that year away."
While playing at Lincoln Prep for her senior campaign, Becker tabbed the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association Defensive Player of the Year and first-team OSBA honors, as well as earning the Finals MVP after leading Lincoln Prep to an OSBA Championship. With hopes of playing collegiate basketball in the U.S, Becker always had her sights on the playing in the Pac-12 conference.
"I always knew I wanted to come to the U.S. because of the high competition level, and especially the Pac-12 being one of the best conferences," Becker explained. "I always knew when I was starting to be seriously recruited and thinking about where I wanted to go, it was always the Pac-12."
Becker continued, "Utah was always my favorite. Getting to know the coaches and everything, I really liked the relationships I was building and the fact they were in the Pac-12. I also just love the living conditions here. The mountains are beautiful and it is new for me because in Manitoba it is flat so that is a change. It is also the same kind of weather patterns as home so it just felt like a home away from home."
Coming to Utah, Becker brought a ton of international experience with her that has been an integral part in her development over the past few years. Becker has had experience competing on the Canadian National Team and most recently competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia for Team Canada.
"Playing national team early taught me the different skill level because it is a level up from high school or club ball," Becker said. "You are playing against the best in the world, so to be able to compete against them gave me a taste of what it would be like in college, but now being in college full-time, I got the little taste before but now I have to always live in it."
Becker's international experience pushed her to be the best she could and competing at higher levels than before was able to get her ready to compete in the high demands on the Pac-12 conference. With Utah's women's basketball program on the rise, the intensity the Ute coaching staff expects is just as much as what Becker had experienced on the Canadian national team level.
"The biggest adjustment for me so far has definitely been the level of intensity," Becker stated. "We practice how we are playing. We are always expected to give our best intensity and play to our best every single day. It is going to be long but we just have to learn to push through it and take care of our bodies, but also manage it all."
Just ahead of the conference season, Becker has been able to come off the bench and help the team wherever needed most. With a promising future ahead, Becker isn't looking to what she might be, but rather what she needs to do now to help the team succeed this season.
"My role is definitely to bring energy," Becker said. "When I go in, I have to give my best and it starts defensively. I need to make sure I am using my length, getting boards, helping others, and then offense follows. I am really excited for Pac-12 season to actually start because it will be my first. Also, just being in the world of university basketball I am excited to see how the first year goes so I can continue to get better day by day."
Athletics Communications Student Assistant
Moving out of the state, let alone to a new country, can be the most challenging part of an incoming freshman's college journey. On top of leaving home, freshman Niyah Becker also has the challenge of competing in arguably the best women's basketball conference in the country in the Pac-12.
Still adjusting to the college world, the 6'2" Winnipeg, Manitoba native comes to the University of Utah more prepared than most freshman. Battling being away from home and missing family can be distracting for athletes, but Becker has been in the situation before and knows how to handle it.
"Last year I played on a prep team in a different providence and I lived in Ontario for my senior year of high school," said Becker. "I did not see my parents and family until Christmas again. My parents did come and visit, but that experience helped me to get used to being on my own and it has helped prepare for college. I will always miss my family and home will always be home, but I have gotten a lot more independent from that year away."
While playing at Lincoln Prep for her senior campaign, Becker tabbed the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association Defensive Player of the Year and first-team OSBA honors, as well as earning the Finals MVP after leading Lincoln Prep to an OSBA Championship. With hopes of playing collegiate basketball in the U.S, Becker always had her sights on the playing in the Pac-12 conference.
"I always knew I wanted to come to the U.S. because of the high competition level, and especially the Pac-12 being one of the best conferences," Becker explained. "I always knew when I was starting to be seriously recruited and thinking about where I wanted to go, it was always the Pac-12."
Becker continued, "Utah was always my favorite. Getting to know the coaches and everything, I really liked the relationships I was building and the fact they were in the Pac-12. I also just love the living conditions here. The mountains are beautiful and it is new for me because in Manitoba it is flat so that is a change. It is also the same kind of weather patterns as home so it just felt like a home away from home."
Coming to Utah, Becker brought a ton of international experience with her that has been an integral part in her development over the past few years. Becker has had experience competing on the Canadian National Team and most recently competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia for Team Canada.
"Playing national team early taught me the different skill level because it is a level up from high school or club ball," Becker said. "You are playing against the best in the world, so to be able to compete against them gave me a taste of what it would be like in college, but now being in college full-time, I got the little taste before but now I have to always live in it."
Becker's international experience pushed her to be the best she could and competing at higher levels than before was able to get her ready to compete in the high demands on the Pac-12 conference. With Utah's women's basketball program on the rise, the intensity the Ute coaching staff expects is just as much as what Becker had experienced on the Canadian national team level.
"The biggest adjustment for me so far has definitely been the level of intensity," Becker stated. "We practice how we are playing. We are always expected to give our best intensity and play to our best every single day. It is going to be long but we just have to learn to push through it and take care of our bodies, but also manage it all."
Just ahead of the conference season, Becker has been able to come off the bench and help the team wherever needed most. With a promising future ahead, Becker isn't looking to what she might be, but rather what she needs to do now to help the team succeed this season.
"My role is definitely to bring energy," Becker said. "When I go in, I have to give my best and it starts defensively. I need to make sure I am using my length, getting boards, helping others, and then offense follows. I am really excited for Pac-12 season to actually start because it will be my first. Also, just being in the world of university basketball I am excited to see how the first year goes so I can continue to get better day by day."
Players Mentioned
W
/ Women's BasketballUtah: 75, Utah Valley: 52 | Utah Women's Basketball Post Game Press Conference
Wednesday, November 12
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Women's Basketball's Maty Wilke
Tuesday, November 11
Utah: 88, Sioux Falls: 62 | Utah Women's Basketball Post Game Press Conference
Monday, November 03
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Women's Basketball's Head Coach Gavin Petersen
Monday, November 03