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GN: Who are your sports idols, and why; and who has had the biggest influence on your life outside of sports, and why?
ME: My sports idols, I may sound boring but I really do not have one. I have never tried to model myself after a particular player or tried to play like one, I just do my own thing and work on the moves I am taught.
My mom has probably had the biggest influence on my life outside of basketball because she has always reminded me that there is more than just playing basketball. She encourages me and supports me and loves to watch me play, but always reminds me that a college education is just as great, and even though basketball may not always be there for me or give me what I want but my Lord and Savior will and that is all I need.
GN: You have a twin sister. What are your similarities and what are your biggest differences? Do you have one comical “twins” story to share that you’ll never forget?
ME: Our biggest differences are that I am more of a "take charge and get things done" type of person and she is more of an "easy-going let things come at me when they come" type. But other than that we are best friends and we both love most of the same things, like running, swimming, movies, going to Starbucks and just being together and having a good time.
Comical story: I loved being Nicole's twin when track season rolled around because people would mistake me for her all the time. At one track meet we were just hanging out and waiting for our events to start and Nicole ran up to the stands to get her spikes, and while she was doing that a few boys came up to me and thought I was her. They started telling me how great of a runner I was and how good at the hurdles I looked and I wasn't going to tell them I was just her sister, so I just nodded my head, smiled really big and said thank you. When Nicole came back we laugh so hard!
Michelle Elliott (right) and her twin sister Nicole.
GN: Tell us about your basketball recruitment out of high school and why you chose San Diego State. Also, why basketball and not other sports like track since you excelled in that, too?
ME: I was at my last summer tournament with my team and the new coaches from San Diego State were there and saw me play so they started recruiting me and asked me to come for a visit. Nicole came with me and we fell in love with the coaches. They were all awesome people who really cared. Also I had always wanted to travel away from home and experience living in a different state, and who wouldn't want to live in San Diego? So I enjoyed my visit and bought into helping build the program up into a winning one since before it was not doing well. I wanted to be a part of something great and make a difference in women's basketball at San Diego State. So I committed on my visit and my sister and I flew back together.
I chose basketball and not any other sport because I loved basketball and everything else was just for fun. To me basketball was fun and very serious. It was about my sophomore year in high school when my summer basketball coach Mike Hodgins talked to me and said "Michelle, what sport is it going to be - soccer, basketball, or track?" He said that if it was going to be basketball that I would need to start devoting more time to it if I ever wanted to play in college. I had a hard time deciding because I loved all of them, but I knew I always got more enjoyment out of playing basketball. So basketball it was, but I still didn't want to give up soccer and track, at least for high school. I continued to play all three and just gave more of my spare time to getting better at basketball, and it all worked out.
GN: Capsulize, if you can, your two-year career at San Diego State, and why you ultimately chose to transfer.
ME: My two years at San Diego State were great. I learned a lot about myself, living that far away from home and grew as a person. I don't regret ever going there, and my decision to leave was based on the fact that the program was just not going anywhere, at least not quick enough. After my freshmen year I lost all the assistant coaches that I fell in love with on my visit and I did receive new ones whom I loved as well but somehow the whole team couldn't come together to create a winning program. So I decided to leave because they were planning on getting another set of new coaches and I didn't want that. I also knew that after all the new changes that were happening it would take a good five years to get the program back to winning again and at that point I only had two years left, so I decided to make a change.
GN: Tell us why you chose to transfer to Gonzaga. What were the factors that played into your decision to be a Bulldog?
ME: Why I chose GU, for one they were close to home and if I was going to move again it was going to be back home so that my family could see my last two years of basketball... And because Gonzaga is a great school academically and athletically. I also had two cousins who attend the school, and my twin sister would be living in Spokane to attend Whitworth College. Most of all I love Kelly Graves; he coaches the way I like to play and cares about his program. The team had come off a really good year and looked like they had more to come so I figured it would be the best fit for me if they would have me, and they did.
GN: Please describe your game, your strengths and areas you want to work to improve, for fans who haven’t seen you play.
ME: My game in high school was a "take you off the dribble, preferably baseline and pull up for a jumper." But if you saw me play in college you would say I was a huge three point shooter but that was mainly because those were the shots our offense gave me. So now I don't really know what type of player I am but I am ready and excited to find out this year! I have always needed to work on the my attacking skills. I always wanted to just settle for the outside shot and my coaches would be yelling at me and telling me to drive to the hole, so I am continuing to work on being more aggressive offensively and just like everyone else my ball-handling skills need to improve.
GN: Off the court, what activities and hobbies do you enjoy, either by yourself or with friends?
ME: I enjoy hanging out with my family; no matter what we do we always have a good time. I enjoy running, movies, swimming, boating and over the past few years, fishing. I love to ski, too, but I have not done that sport ever since I started playing basketball.
GN: What’s the best concert you’ve ever attended, and why? And what’s your favorite band or who’s your favorite singer, and what CD is in your player now?
ME: The best concert I have attended was Creating 99; it is a huge concert with different Christen music, and bands. It was fun because I went with a huge group of my family and friends and we all just made a day of it.
My favorite band is Rascal Flatts and James Blunt.
I have an i-pod but the song I play over and over is King without a Crown "Matisyahu" Live at Stubb's; many people probably haven't heard it but it is a great song.
GN: Your favorite movies, TV shows and food?
ME: My favorite movies are "The Note Book" and "Lord of the Rings." TV shows are "24" and "Extreme Home Makeover." Food, I like all food but mostly a good steak and potatoes, and most all seafood.
GN: What do you plan on majoring in at Gonzaga, and what are your goals after you graduate with your degree?
ME: I plan on majoring in Psychology with my teaching certificate in Elementary Education. My goals after I graduate are to find a good teaching job at a school, maybe close to home and close to a high school with a women's basketball team, so that I could coach.