“Enjoy this last ride. Enjoy every single moment of it. Appreciate the good moments and learn from the bad ones, as you will face both.”

That is the advice that Cane great Laura Cornelius has for the current group of Miami women’s basketball seniors. And its advice that the guard has lived out in not only during her time at Miami, but also as a professional basketball player in Spain.

Cornelius has spent a majority of the last 12 months in Zamora, Spain, playing for Club Deportivo Zamarat, a member of Spain’s highest basketball league, the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto.

Despite having played on the international stage before, representing the Netherlands at multiple FIBA World Championships, there was still an adjustment period for Cornelius after moving on to professional basketball.

“It’s just two different worlds,” Cornelius said. “There’s a different style of play, coaching, and you don’t have the same teammates for a couple of years to get to know, yet you still have to find a way to play well together.”

Cornelius powered through the transition and ultimately finished the season averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and a team-leading 2.3 assists. The 5-foot-8 guard started all 22 games for CD Zamarat and paced the team in 3-point percentage, shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The high of the season came early on in Cornelius’ time in Zamora when the club won its first game of the season. Not only was CD Zamarat the underdog heading into the game, but also the club was down 14 points in the second half and still managed to pull off the upset. It’s a game that will always stick with Cornelius as it was the first professional win of her career.

However, the joy of winning quickly faded as Cornelius and CD Zamarat faced a series of obstacles over the next few months including a nine-game losing streak, a heading coaching change and multiple roster changes.

 

With this lesson in mind, Cornelius and CD Zamarat bounced back in the second half of the season, winning three of their last five games. The club had won back-to-back games before league play was suspended due to COVID-19.

Like many other professional athletes, Cornelius’ plans were drastically altered due to COVID-19. Originally, the 5-foot-8 point guard planned on spending the summer in Miami to train for the upcoming season, but she altered her plans to stay in the Netherlands once the stay-at-home orders were mandated.

“I’ve been trying to stay as active as I possibly can,” Cornelius said. “I picked up yoga and I stretch way more, but I also do weight training and work on my game on hoops outside since all gyms are closed.”

The driving factor behind Cornelius’ work ethic in the offseason is the hunger to compete at the highest level. Being around her teammates and working towards a common goal is one of the things that she misses most during this stay-at-home period, according to Cornelius.

Basketball aside, Cornelius has developed a strong affinity for the country that she calls home during the season.

For Cornelius, the most important thing that she could do during her four years as a Cane was to leave behind a legacy for future UM generations.

And a legacy she left. Cornelius ranks as one of the greatest Miami 3-pointers of all-time, with her name scored across the record book. But more than that, Cornelius’ resolute work ethic and incredible basketball mind left an immeasurable imprint on the program.

So, while the timeline for the upcoming basketball season remains unclear, Cornelius will continue to work hard, sharpen her skills and, most importantly, enjoy the ride.