Fresno State Athletics
Long Road Home for Moore
2/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2012
FRESNO, Calif. - Ki-Ki Moore, a native of San Francisco, grew up only 188 miles from Fresno State and took a long road to becoming a Bulldog. The sophomore is in her second season with the Bulldogs and after having to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, is making a big impact.
Moore, a 5-8 guard, spent all her life playing sports. She loved to be active and played several sports growing up in the Bay area.
"I played a lot of sports growing up," said Moore. "I played football, baseball and basketball. I was the best at basketball, so I figured I would stick with it. I played all three sports all the way through middle school and in high school I start to just focus on basketball."
She got her start on the court at six years old and hasn't looked back. Basketball is a family affair for Moore, so having a basketball in hand became a constant thing.
"My god dad and Nate Ford are a big reason why I love to play basketball," said Moore. "Everyone in my family grew up playing basketball and still play, so I just followed the trend."
Although it was easy to love the game, it wasn't until high school that Moore focused solely on basketball and thought of playing in college.
"During AAU tournaments and having college coaches watch me play, I realized that I had a shot and wanted to keep playing basketball in college," said Moore.
Right out of high school a lot of big schools recruited Moore, but she ultimately chose the Pac 12's Washington State. Moore packed her bags and moved up north to chilly Pullman, Wash. After a year with the Cougars, Moore realized that WSU wasn't the right fit for her.
"The first time I got recruited there were a lot of tough schools that were close to home, like Cal," said Moore, who was named to the Pac 10 All-Freshman Team. "I chose Washington State and that didn't work out."
Moore started the recruiting process over after her freshman season. She got interest from schools like San Diego State, San Francisco, St. Mary's and Fresno state. After her visits, she decided to become a Bulldog.
"On my visit, the coaches and team was people that I could see myself being around every day," said Moore. "And I liked the style of the team and how they played."
Moore used her redshirt season during 2010-11 and was only allowed to practice with the team. She watched the Bulldogs win their fourth consecutive WAC Title.
"It was a long year," said Moore. "I wasn't used to not playing basketball. It was definitely a learning year and better prepared me for this year. I think that is why I am doing so well right now. Transferring and then having to sit out a year, I think was what was best for me and my career."
After Fresno State, Moore would like to continue playing basketball for as long as possible. After that she wants to stay close to the game by working as a television announcer.
"I want to keep playing basketball for as long as I can, but I also want to be a sports analyst and interview Kobe Bryant," said Moore.
"We Are Your Team!" The Bulldogs head to Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. Fresno State returns to the Save Mart Center on Feb. 16 against Idaho. Catch all the action of every home game on ESPN Radio 790 AM with Guy Haberman. For more information on tickets call 278-DOGS.
