Meet The Husky Freshmen: Amber Melgoza
October 14, 2016 | Women's Basketball
The University of Washington women's basketball program welcomed four talented freshmen in 2016-17. GoHuskies.com will introduce a member of the Husky freshmen class each week this fall.
At 5-foot-10-inches, Amber Melgoza is a versatile off-guard who displays a smooth stroke in mid-range and behind the arc. At Santa Barbara High School, Melgoza was a prolific scorer, averaging 26.3 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game as a senior after averaging 33.5 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game as a junior. For her efforts, she earned the CIF Division III Player of the Year award and MaxPreps All-State First Team honors for Division II in California. She was also named the Presidio Sports All-City Player of the Year.
The Santa Barbara, Calif. native has proven she can score with games of 50, 48 and 47 points as a junior, all breaking the school record. She became just the fourth player in CIF Southern Section history to score 1,000 points in a season, joining Naismith Hall of Famer and USC alum Cheryl Miller, Washington Hall of Famer Guiliana Mendiola and Amy Jalewalia who played at UCLA.
Q: Why did you choose the University of Washington?
A: I chose the University of Washington because it has a great academic environment and this is a school where I knew I could fulfill my potential both in the classroom and on the court. I also felt a strong sense of family and belonging with the coaching staff and my teammates. It has always been a dream for me to play here.
Q: What are you most looking forward to?
A: I'm most looking forward to competing in the Pac-12 Conference.
Q: How would you describe your game?
A: I'm a very passionate player on the court; I compete every single play with great tenacity. I love to create shots for myself and I always look to provide others with scoring opportunities.
Q: Where is your favorite place to hang out in Seattle?
A: I would have to say downtown Seattle and the pier for the beautiful scenery and endless shopping opportunities.
Q: Why did you choose the number you wear?
A: I have worn the number 4 since my freshman year of high school and I'm excited to continue wearing it at UW with great pride.
Q: What is one random fact that people wouldn't know about you?
A: When I was six years old I was No. 1 in the nation in BMX.
Q: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
A: I would love for us to win the Pac-12 Conference and as a personal goal, I'd like to develop into a stronger shooting guard and a better defender.
Q: What is the best moment of your basketball career so far?
A: My most memorable experience thus far has been winning the first CIF championship for Santa Barbara High and earning multiple CIF records that same season.
Q: What are your hobbie outside of sports?
A: When I'm not playing basketball I love to shop (especially for shoes), wakeboard, hang out with loved ones and eat food.
Q: What is your dream job (not including playing basketball)?
A: I'm not sure what my dream job would be but it would involve traveling the world.
Amber in her own words... I am a very hard worker and will do anything to get the job done. I am kind of quiet if you don't know me but once you get to know me, I'm loud and love to talk. I can definitely be classified as goofy. I have an older sister, Candace who graduated from Vanguard University and a younger brother, Zach who loves playing football, baseball, golf and of course, basketball. I absolutely love my two dogs, Lucy and Bubba. My family has always been my biggest fans. Without my parents, Robin and Jaime, I would not be where I am at today; they are my rock. I love hanging out with friends, eating good food and going to the beach in beautiful Santa Barbara on my free time. In my younger days, I really enjoyed riding BMX bikes and playing football with the boys. I'm loving life here in Seattle and being a Husky.
Melgoza File:
Full name: Amber Constance Melgoza
Birthdate: June 29, 1998
Birthplace: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Nickname: Breezy and pup
Biggest guilty pleasure: I like to eat any food at any time
Favorite subject in school: English
Favorite TV show: Bachelorette
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans
Favorite place you've traveled: Australia
Favorite musical artist: Drake
Pregame superstitions: A long nap is necessary, followed by a sub sandwich and a protein bar within an hour before game time
Melgoza and the Huskies will play two exhibition games against Central Washington (Oct. 29) and Concordia (Nov. 2) before officially opening the season against Eastern Washington on Nov. 11. For information about tickets, click here.
At 5-foot-10-inches, Amber Melgoza is a versatile off-guard who displays a smooth stroke in mid-range and behind the arc. At Santa Barbara High School, Melgoza was a prolific scorer, averaging 26.3 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game as a senior after averaging 33.5 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game as a junior. For her efforts, she earned the CIF Division III Player of the Year award and MaxPreps All-State First Team honors for Division II in California. She was also named the Presidio Sports All-City Player of the Year.
The Santa Barbara, Calif. native has proven she can score with games of 50, 48 and 47 points as a junior, all breaking the school record. She became just the fourth player in CIF Southern Section history to score 1,000 points in a season, joining Naismith Hall of Famer and USC alum Cheryl Miller, Washington Hall of Famer Guiliana Mendiola and Amy Jalewalia who played at UCLA.
Q: Why did you choose the University of Washington?
A: I chose the University of Washington because it has a great academic environment and this is a school where I knew I could fulfill my potential both in the classroom and on the court. I also felt a strong sense of family and belonging with the coaching staff and my teammates. It has always been a dream for me to play here.
Q: What are you most looking forward to?
A: I'm most looking forward to competing in the Pac-12 Conference.
Q: How would you describe your game?
A: I'm a very passionate player on the court; I compete every single play with great tenacity. I love to create shots for myself and I always look to provide others with scoring opportunities.
Q: Where is your favorite place to hang out in Seattle?
A: I would have to say downtown Seattle and the pier for the beautiful scenery and endless shopping opportunities.
Q: Why did you choose the number you wear?
A: I have worn the number 4 since my freshman year of high school and I'm excited to continue wearing it at UW with great pride.
Q: What is one random fact that people wouldn't know about you?
A: When I was six years old I was No. 1 in the nation in BMX.
Q: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
A: I would love for us to win the Pac-12 Conference and as a personal goal, I'd like to develop into a stronger shooting guard and a better defender.
Q: What is the best moment of your basketball career so far?
A: My most memorable experience thus far has been winning the first CIF championship for Santa Barbara High and earning multiple CIF records that same season.
Q: What are your hobbie outside of sports?
A: When I'm not playing basketball I love to shop (especially for shoes), wakeboard, hang out with loved ones and eat food.
Q: What is your dream job (not including playing basketball)?
A: I'm not sure what my dream job would be but it would involve traveling the world.
Amber in her own words... I am a very hard worker and will do anything to get the job done. I am kind of quiet if you don't know me but once you get to know me, I'm loud and love to talk. I can definitely be classified as goofy. I have an older sister, Candace who graduated from Vanguard University and a younger brother, Zach who loves playing football, baseball, golf and of course, basketball. I absolutely love my two dogs, Lucy and Bubba. My family has always been my biggest fans. Without my parents, Robin and Jaime, I would not be where I am at today; they are my rock. I love hanging out with friends, eating good food and going to the beach in beautiful Santa Barbara on my free time. In my younger days, I really enjoyed riding BMX bikes and playing football with the boys. I'm loving life here in Seattle and being a Husky.
Melgoza File:
Full name: Amber Constance Melgoza
Birthdate: June 29, 1998
Birthplace: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Nickname: Breezy and pup
Biggest guilty pleasure: I like to eat any food at any time
Favorite subject in school: English
Favorite TV show: Bachelorette
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans
Favorite place you've traveled: Australia
Favorite musical artist: Drake
Pregame superstitions: A long nap is necessary, followed by a sub sandwich and a protein bar within an hour before game time
Melgoza and the Huskies will play two exhibition games against Central Washington (Oct. 29) and Concordia (Nov. 2) before officially opening the season against Eastern Washington on Nov. 11. For information about tickets, click here.
Players Mentioned
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