Early in her life, Sandburg’s Monique Nkwogu faced a health issue so difficult and worrisome that doctors would not even allow her to go down a slide.
Nkwogu said she had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which causes the heart to beat faster than normal. It could have been life threatening if she took part in any strenuous activity.
At that point, athletic endeavors were out of the question.
“I don’t think I was born with it, but I was diagnosed when I was really little,” Nkwogu said of WPW syndrome. “But I had surgery, and after that, I was able to play sports.
“The doctor told me I got my life back.”
The 6-foot-2 senior center is making the most of that life for the Eagles. She has had an up-and-down high school career, but she has been capping it off in fine fashion this season.
That trend continued Tuesday night as Nkwogu notched eight points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in a 41-40 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over Stagg in Orland Park.
Zoe Trunk came up with layup off a steal with 2:00 left, proving to be the difference for Sandburg (16-6, 7-3). Ellie Driscoll led the Eagles with 17 points. Abby Janociak added four steals.
Abbey Hobart scored 13 points for Stagg (13-10, 4-6), while Shannon Earley chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds and Kacey Fitzpatrick contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.
Sandburg, which improved its winning streak to eighth straight, has gone 13-1 since Dec. 16.
Nkwogu, meanwhile, is on fire. She also scored 14 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked six shots Saturday in a 62-55 victory over Geneva at the Coach Kipp’s Hoopfest.
“I’ve never played with anyone with height like this,” Driscoll said of Nkwogu. “We’ve always been able to shoot from the outside, but we never had the inside presence. She completes our team.”
“Monique has been huge for us,” Sandburg coach Nick Fotopoulos said. “She blocks shots. She disrupts. She rebounds. I’m so proud of her.”
Nkwogu has come a long way at Sandburg. She played basketball as a freshman, was cut as a sophomore and didn’t come out for the team as a junior.
Those two years away from the Eagles, she was determined to stay with the game and improved her skills on the AAU level with the Lady Lightning.
“I was kind of sad,” she said about getting cut. “I was really excited to play with the JV team and I was a little devastated. But my mom told me I should still try, that I have a lot of potential and that I had a lot going for me.
“That made me want to come back.”
That comeback started with a Lady Lightning camp. She developed her skills that season, yet didn’t come back out for her junior year at Sandburg. But this season, she wanted in again.
“It’s my last year,” Nkwogu said. “It’s nice to come back to this atmosphere. I like how we get to spend more time with each other. In AAU, it’s twice a week, and here it’s five times, possibly six times we’ll be together.
“We get to know how we play, and you can see how much better we’ve gotten from the beginning of the season until now.”
Nkwogu hopes to play basketball in college, but her top goal is studying to be a dermatologist. Her experience with her heart has shaped a love for the medical field.
“I spent a lot of time in the hospital,” she said. “I realized how much doctors really benefit society, especially little kids growing up.
“Thanks to the doctors, I never thought I would be able to play sports, but here I am.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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