If one were to set foot in the University of Chicago’s Ratner Athletics Center over the past four years, more often than not they would happen upon Britta Nordstrom, a University of Chicago women’s basketball forward. Nordstrom has left her mark on the basketball program, ranking in the top ten in five different statistical categories. Coming in as a first-year, Nordstrom made her presence felt averaging double digits (10.7 PPG), ranking seventh in free throws made in a season (84), and receiving Second Team All-UAA recognition. The more years Nordstrom had under her belt, the more her time in Ratner showed. She went on to collect seven more All-UAA mentions, along with All-Region Honors, and countless double doubles.
Nordstrom reflected on her career saying, “Each year, I have definitely gotten better at different aspects of my game, and the coaches have been so supportive in every aspect. Coach [Carissa Sain Knoche] has been instrumental in changing the way that I play the game from a conditioning, emotional, and leadership standpoint, and I couldn’t be happier about how everything turned out. Approaching each moment like it was my last made this season the best one I have ever had, because I truly soaked up every practice, workout, and moment with my team which made me infinitely more invested in the success of each individual.”
Nordstrom’s senior campaign might have been her most impressive, as the she led her team to their first NCAA tournament appearance in five years. Nordstrom collected many individual accolades this year, reaching the 1,000-point mark, receiving First Team All-UAA honors, marking a new career high in points (25), along with numerous others.
What really set Nordstrom apart, however, was her leadership displayed throughout her career and senior campaign. On the court, Nordstrom led the Maroons in four separate statistical categories and also was able to match that same influence off the court.
First-year teammate Anna Rose said of Nordstrom, “Britta inspires the team both on and off the court. There's never a time where she's not trying to make her teammates better; she encourages us to always give our best effort no matter the circumstance. She just cares deeply about every single one of us.”
Nordstrom herself reflected on the season and her career saying, “I have been incredibly fortunate to attend UChicago and play with an amazing group of girls. It was amazing to be part of something that was bigger than just us. Every player on the team contributed in some way through the course of the season which was so great.”
“A senior my freshman year told me that ‘you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you.’ I know that my entire college experience has been shaped by the women I played with my first three years, and I can only hope I had the same effect on them,” said Nordstrom.
As she goes off to the next chapter in her life, working at McMaster-Carr in Los Angeles, California, Nordstrom will no doubt continue living out success. While she may be in Los Angeles, she will be still holding up the women’s basketball program at the University of Chicago, her influence extending to those who are fortunate enough to come after her.
