On Dec. 13, Winthrop women’s basketball player Luka Malinka was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week.
“I was a bit surprised,” said Malinka. “I hadn’t even thought about it until my assistant coach texted me and was like, ‘If you get Freshman of the Week, you owe me a hamburger.’”
Malinka said she asked, “What are you talking about?” to which the coach jokingly replied, “I’m just saying.”
“It’s always nice to be recognized a little bit, but right now, I am just thinking about how the team can develop and how we can do better at each game,” Malinka said.
A five-foot-eight point guard, Malinka hopes to become more of a leader for her teammates.
“I need to help my teammates even more to get them in the right position to score. I need to be more vocal, and I need to score more. You can see that in the score. We only get 30 to 40 points, which is just not enough to win,” Malinka said.
Originally from Rungsted Kyst, Denmark, Malinka participated in over 50 basketball camps growing up. At only 13 years old, she joined the National team, where she met her current teammate Caroline De Klauman.
When Malinka was 16 years old, she was invited to play in the Women’s League in Denmark.
“That’s like the best you can play in Denmark, so that was a big step for me to be sixteen and play with women who are like thirty,” Malinka said.
Malinka was recently invited back to the National team in Copenhagen this upcoming summer, but she plans to take a break for a family vacation beforehand.
“[It’s] like our family tradition, we always go to Spain. [My favorite thing is] probably just being lazy on the beach and getting a tan,” Malinka said.
Following her older sister’s footsteps, Malinka started playing basketball at 5 years old. Neither of their parents played basketball but were active in other popular sports in Denmark, such as handball and soccer.
The sisters are leading similar lives to this day, as Malinka’s sister is playing collegiate basketball in Oklahoma. Malinka’s parents were able to visit over winter break and experience an in-person Winthrop women’s basketball game.
“I’m always the one to put in a lot of work because I wanted to be the best. I just loved it so much. Basically, I was the one at the end of practice to be shooting for two hours more because it was so fun. Sometimes I even had my parents come up to the gym and drag me out of practice to get me home,” Malinka said.
Like many athletes, Malinka loves to win and hates to lose, but unfortunately, her team’s determination is not paying off in the way she would like to see.
“I’m not the same person when I lose, which my friends know now. I am awful. My dream is that we win every single game. I go in with the mentality that we have to have this one,” Malinka said.
“I think after each game we get a little better. We take baby steps to get in the right direction, but we just need a win. The energy drops because we miss winning. But what can’t be improved? That’s the question,” Malinka said.
Although Malinka recognized that Denmark has exceptional universities, coming to the United States for her higher education and basketball has always been her dream. That being said, she said she “definitely” had a difficult time adjusting to life in South Carolina.
“It was like two or three months before I [was] actually like ‘I am not going back for some time,’ so that was pretty strange to adjust. And the workouts here are more intense. I never lifted weights that heavy in my life until now,” Malinka said.
One cultural difference that Malinka pointed out is that Americans are more open and welcoming than people in Denmark. Another difference she said she’s noticed is the availability of food in America compared to Denmark.
According to Malinka, there are more fresh, organic food options across Denmark and very few fast–food chains. Malinka even believes she plays better when she eats a banana before each game. However, there is one chain Malinka is thrilled to have access to on campus.
“We have two Starbucks in Denmark, and I think they are both in the airport, so it’s basically impossible to go. But I really like it. I drink it every day, definitely a Pink Drink. So I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get back,” Malinka said.
Majoring in marketing, Malinka is already considering working as a marketing operator in a specific marketing company or possibly becoming a marketing editor for the NBA.
“Since I was little, I imagined myself going to college for four or five years and then staying in America for the rest of my life. But I’m not sure yet if I want to go back to Denmark or if I want to stay here,” Malinka said.
