In Focus

By Jason Cannon '02

Azusa Pacific point guard Jacqueline Godoy '02 does not get much sleep on Tuesday or Saturday nights. After every basketball game, Godoy is awake, watching tape and analyzing her performance from earlier that evening. As she talks about the screen-and-roll she ran with 8:29 left in the first half, her husband of three years, Luiz Eduardo Castro, stands behind her shaking his head, most likely recalling more than one 3 a.m. epiphany.

"I can't sleep because I'm thinking about what I did in the game," said Godoy, who averaged a team-high 15.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in the regular season. "I think about what we did well as a team and what we did bad. I also think about how we can improve. I sleep maybe a few hours."

It is this close attention to detail that has enabled the 24-year-old star to emerge as not only one of the top players in her native Brazil, but also as the best in the conference. She was named Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year on February 26, 2001 the first Lady Cougar to win the honor. She helped propel 16th ranked Azusa Pacific (21-6, 17-1) to its second GSAC title in three years and a birth in the NAIA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

"She is a phenomenal basketball player," said Cougar eighth-year head coach Danielle Jorgenson, M.Ed. '93. "She has skills that I haven't seen in my 15 years at this level. All someone needs to do is watch her play, and you'll see why she's head and shoulders above other players. She possesses skills that a coach can't teach."

Godoy's experience includes international play. She was one of the final cuts from the team that represented Brazil in the Sydney Olympic Games last year.

"Her experience is unmatched by any player we've ever had in the APU program," Jorgenson said. "The greatest gift she has brought to the team is her maturity and wisdom. Jacque sets an example from which the other girls learn."

"At 18 or 19, it's hard to forget about a bad day. Mental toughness was a hard lesson for me to learn," Godoy said. "I want to make them feel like it's okay to not play well one day, knowing you can come back and do well the next. I try to prepare each day as a new day in basketball and life. I expect myself to be consistent for 40 minutes on the court."

After a sloppy win over Hope International University, Godoy felt she had not given an all-out effort in preparation for the game and went as far as apologizing for her sub-par performance. "She came up to me before we got on the bus and said, 'I'm sorry, I'll never play like that again.' To her, the way she played was unacceptable, and while some were just glad to get out of there with a win, she was already looking toward the next game," Jorgenson said.
Godoy's teammates have taken notice of this veteran's leadership.

"Jacque brings a unique facet to our team with her experience and perspective," said junior forward Alexis Graves. "She is humble and honestly cares more about the welfare of our team than any personal recognition she gets. She plays like a woman among girls."

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