Catching Up With Former Hoops Player Ali Day

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DURHAM, N.C.-- GoDuke.com recently sat down with former Duke women's basketball student-athlete Ali Day, who played for the Blue Devils from 1993-96; to see what she is doing these days, get her thoughts on Duke women's basketball and to reflect on her time in Durham.

Day was a two-time All-ACC selection and helped build the Blue Devil hoops program to where it is today. She helped guide Duke to the NCAA Tournament in 1995 and 1996, while playing in the NCAA Tournament contest against Alabama that went to an NCAA record four overtimes.

GoDuke.com: Give us a run down on what you are doing now.

Ali Day: This fall will be my 10th year at Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland, Ohio. I teach Ancient Cultures to ninth graders and Modern World History to 10th graders. I am also the sophomore class Dean. Until recently, I coached both volleyball and basketball, too.

GD: Do you have a spouse and children?

AD: My husband, Ben Beckman, and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary this past June. We have a son, Anders, who was born January 2nd.

GD: How often are you able to watch Duke basketball games?

AD: Unfortunately not that often. No cable TV leaves me to stream them on the internet, if I can.

GD: How much has women's basketball changed since you played?

AD: It definitely has changed a lot, as women have gotten bigger, stronger and faster. The women's game has always been fun to watch, but now it is even more exciting!

GD: When is the last time you were able to come back to see a Duke game?

AD: I came back for the reunion in 2008, when Lindsey Harding's jersey was retired. We beat N.C. State that weekend.

GD: Have you had a chance to come back and see the new practice facility?

AD: They gave us a nice tour of the facility during the reunion. It was impressive! And to think we were thrilled when we took over the field hockey locker room to use as a TV room back in 1993!

GD: How much has the Duke campus changed since you were in school?

AD: In the times I have been back, I haven't spent much time touring the campus, but it seems like a lot of new buildings have gone up since my time.

GD: Where did you live when you were at Duke?

AD: Jen Scanlon and I were roomies freshman year in Hastings on West Campus. I lived in Giles on east campus with two field hockey players my sophomore year. Kris Meiman and I lived together in an apartment on central campus junior year, and then Jen and I were back together for our senior year on central campus in one of the big "grad apartments."

GD: What are some of your best memories of Duke?

AD: We were a big family of sisters the four years I was playing, so most of my memories are of the great times we had together off the court. The basketball was pretty great, too, and my favorite memory was beating UNC on a last second shot, with the crowd rushing onto the court to help us celebrate!

GD: Do you keep in touch with your former teammates?

AD: We are all leading busy lives, but we do a pretty good job of keeping in touch, even getting together every once and a while!

GD: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give our current student-athletes?

AD: Soak up the experiences! Sometimes it's hard to appreciate things while you are going through them, but as much as you can, work hard, play hard and have fun!

GD: What kind of an impact has a Duke degree had on your life?

AD: The name Duke on your resume certainly opens doors. And, for good reason -- the education you receive is top notch!

GD: Do you remember a specific class and/or professor that you really enjoyed while at Duke?

AD: I minored in African-American Studies, and those were my most interesting classes. Carla Williams stands out in my mind as one of my best teachers. I also really enjoyed history professor Claudia Koonz's classes.

GD: Do you get a chance to ever play pick-up basketball these days?

AD: When I came back from France in 1999, I "hung up my high tops" for good. I haven't played in a game since! When I was coaching I played a little bit during practice, but that's about it. These days my main exercise is pushing the baby stroller around!

GD: You were one of the student-athletes who helped build the Duke program to where it was now. How excited has it been to see the Duke program become one of the top basketball programs in the nation?

AD: It's been great to see Duke get better and better over the last decade. I take a lot of pride in the fact that I was a member of the teams that started to turn things around for the Blue Devils in the early to mid-90s. When I graduated, I remember saying that when Duke wins a national championship, that will be my national championship, too. It's been too many years for me to feel that way now, but I will certainly be very proud when that day comes (hopefully soon!).

GD: As a member of two NCAA Tournament teams, what was your experience like
playing in the "Big Dance?"

AD: It was definitely a big step just making it into the tournament my junior year -- we played with no pressure, and it showed! The following year we received a home bid and were really confident that we could make it to the sweet sixteen. But, as fate would have it we were upset by San Francisco in the second round . . . not the way I wanted to end my career, but that's how the game works!

GD: Do you still think about the four-overtime Alabama game in 1995?

AD: That was a surreal experience. Toward the end, in the huddles, there was a lot of laughing in disbelief that we were going into yet another overtime. By the fourth overtime, we were playing on fumes! There were so many NCAA records broken in that game . . . it seems like only recently a few of them have fallen. This game was an appropriate end to that magical season!

GD: What was it like hitting the game-winning shot to beat arch-rival North Carolina? Could you have scripted it any better?

AD: I actually watch clips of that shot every year because as a teacher, at the end of the school year I show my students our highlight video from 1994-95, just so they can have a good laugh and see what their teacher looked like "back in the day." And, even though I've seen the shot and the aftermath a million times, I still get goose bumps when I watch. It was a special moment for me and for Duke!

GD: What was your experience like playing overseas and living in France and Greece?

AD: I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to live overseas. It really changed my life in a lot of ways. I mostly value the cultural experiences I had while living in Athens and Tarbes, France. I was able to learn so much about myself and other people! The basketball in both places was disappointing for different reasons. I never felt like I was able to play at my highest level, and that was frustrating. I also realized pretty quickly that playing basketball as a job is a lot different from playing for the love of the game and your school. Nevertheless, I made the most of my time abroad and did a lot of traveling around Europe at the end of each of my playing stints. There's nothing better when you are in your early 20s and adventurous!

GD: Do you have a place you liked better -- France or Greece? Who had the best food?

AD: It's pretty easy to say that Greece was my favorite. The people were so welcoming and generous and I made some close friends. I loved the country so much that I've been back a dozen times to travel, see friends and learn the language. It was definitely my second home for many years!

Catching Up With Former Hoops Player Ali Day

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