Nija Collier is a senior sports management major with a minor in business and is in the midst of her second season on the Jennies basketball team. Collier is versatile and can play every position on the court. 

  She first picked up a basketball when she was six years old. However, Collier didn’t get her first chance to play competitively until the sixth grade, when she  played for a small team in her community of Roseville, Michigan. Shortly afterward, she began playing basketball at Roseville High School, then played two years at Kansas City Kansas Community College before transferring to the University of Central Missouri.

  At KCKCC, Collier led the 32-4 Blue Devils to a national championship in 2019. During the 2018-2019 season, Collier averaged 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 40% from the three-point range and 58% from the floor. Collier was selected as the Region V Player of the Year, First Team All-American and 2019 Spalding Division II Junior College Player of the Year.

  Mike Nicholson, Jennies basketball team assistant coach, first scouted Collier and senior guard Camryn Swanson on the championship roster.

  “I played with Collier at KCKCC and followed her to UCM because the competitive spirit and determination she showed on every play was special,” Swanson said. 

  “Coach Nick found us at the National Tournament, looking around at schools,” Collier said. “I fell in love with UCM after the first day. I decided I wasn’t going to go on any other college visits.”

  Collier is impressed with the level of competition the Jennies showed and knew that she wanted to be a part of this franchise.

  Collier was surprised to see how much local support is shown toward the Jennies at UCM. 

  “After winning Nationals, it seemed like this organization had a winning community, and I really wanted to be a part of that winning culture,” Collier said.

  The UCM coaching staff was impressed with Collier’s abilities and also wanted her to be part of the community.

  “Collier had the type of athleticism and style of basketball that fit perfectly with the winning style of basketball the Jennies wanted to play,” Nicholson said.

  With this being Collier’s second season with the team her relationship with all her teammates and coaches has grown exponentially.

  “I love my coaches and I feel like I can count on my coaches and they can count on me,” Collier said. “I can come to them for anything, and I know they only want the best out of me.”

  Collier said she feels most comfortable to approach Head Coach Dave Silfer about anything. 

  “I go to my head coach, Silfer … I feel like I can be open and talk with him about anything,” Collier said. “I know if I had any questions or concerns, I can go straight to him and get a straight answer.”

  In her first year with UCM, Collier started all 31 games of the season. In her career debut game, Collier scored 20 points, and over the course of the season, she averaged 13.3 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game. At the end of the 2019-2020 season, she was awarded with MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, All-MIAA Second Team, MIAA Player of the Week and MIAA All-Tournament Team.

  Collier was awarded MIAA Player of the Week on Feb 2. 

  “I love playing with all these different people and the different pieces I wouldn’t have thought we had,” Collier said. “This year we walked in with a whole lot of freshmans. But we have some great recruits, and the freshmen are some great people. And I know I can count on them a lot, and I love playing with them too.”

  Collier’s favorite moment at UCM is bittersweet as she speaks of her enthusiasm for hosting the MIAA tournament. but was later shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year 2021 MIAA tournament will be hosted by the Jennies.

  Collier has plans to play professional basketball internationally. She said she wants to go into the sports industry, whether athletics, athletic training or athletic directing.