Nicole is Sac Bee Female Athlete of the Year

Nicole earned the Sacramento Bee's Female Athlete of the Year award because, "She always finds ways to improve."

John Whisenant, who was the Monarchs' coach and general manager, said, ""She tried to get better. Every year she tried to add something to her game."

"She wants to be as good as she can be," Whisenant said. "She's worked hard at developing a complete game. I think she's a more complete player than she ever has been."

New York Liberty coach Anne Donovan chose Nicole with the first pick of the dispersal draft last week because, "She really has increased her skill level every season."

Nicole said, "Even throughout high school and college I knew if I wanted to be a decent player and wanted to play at this level, I had to get better each year.

"Every year the league gets better … you can't come back the next year with the same stuff."

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