Standing in the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center after a practice on Jan. 30, Gabrielle Cooper and Nikki Oppenheimer remembered it differently.

Cooper recalled the night in January 2016 when she and Morgan Park (Illinois) High School ended Oppenheimer and Montini Catholic (Illinois) High School’s 22-game win streak. The two had matched up multiple times previously, but never in a game as important.

Cooper remembers scoring 20 points in the first half but struggling to score the rest of the game.

“We locked her up in the second half,” Oppenheimer said jokingly, raising her voice so Cooper would overhear.

“My team didn’t pass me the ball,” Cooper interjected. “I didn’t get shots in the second half. I didn’t miss the shots, my team didn’t pass me the ball.”

Cooper and Oppenheimer, a duo of shooting guards from the Chicago area, have since formed a bond in the latter’s first season for Syracuse (17-7, 5-6 Atlantic Coast). Cooper has taken on a mentor-like role with Oppenheimer, helping the freshman adjust to college life and a higher level of basketball.

“It’s getting real strong,” Cooper said. “I kind of just took her under my wing because she’s a shooting guard, and I take care of my shooting guards.”

When the two guards faced each other in 2016, it was the younger Oppenheimer, a then-junior, who had already committed to Syracuse as a sophomore. Cooper’s commitment came later in the year, but ever since the two faced off that winter, a bond was forged.

They faced each other occasionally in AAU basketball, said Oppenheimer’s father, Josh, a coach for the Brooklyn Nets’ G-League team. Oppenheimer played for Midwest Elite, a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League team and Cooper played for the Mac Irvin Fire, which is a “top team,” Josh Oppenheimer said.

Throughout their high school years, Oppenheimer and Cooper faced each other a handful of times, but neither could remember the exact number.

“I’ve been playing against her for years,” Cooper said.

In spring 2016, when Syracuse was on its unforeseen run to the national championship game, Oppenheimer and Cooper, both committed at that point, paid close attention. When SU reached the Final Four in Indianapolis, Oppenheimer and her mother Adrienne Oppenheimer traveled southeast to watch, as did Cooper and her mother, Benji Hardaway.

At Lucas Oil Stadium, the groups had separate tickets and didn’t sit near each other, but Cooper and Oppenheimer knew the other was there, and made it a point to meet on the concourse and talk about their future team. Adrienne snapped a picture of the future teammates.

Courtesy of Adrienne Oppenheimer

“That was when we really first met in person,” Oppenheimer said. “Our moms met. That was a really cool experience.”

When Oppenheimer arrived on campus, Cooper took it upon herself to be a mentor for her position-sharing friend.

“It was a huge advantage for Nikki to walk on to campus and at least have a familiar face,” Josh Oppenheimer said.

Since getting to Syracuse, Cooper has helped Oppenheimer more with adjusting to college life than on the court. The two are next-door neighbors and hang out frequently, going to practice and class together.

When Cooper aids Oppenheimer on the court, it’s generally about the minutiae of the game, specifically the shooting guard position. If Oppenheimer makes a mistake, Cooper will pull her aside and point it out, she said.

“It’s hard when you’re messing up,” Cooper said. “Things start to snowball, so I try not to let it happen to her.”

So far this year, Oppenheimer hasn’t made much of an impact, playing 5.2 minutes a game. Cooper, the older, more seasoned player, averages 31 minutes a night, third on the team.

Oppenheimer’s limited minutes can likely be attributed to SU’s depth — eight players average nine or more minutes — and the fact that Cooper is playing the aforementioned 31 minutes at the same position.

The adjustment to college basketball has been expectedly tough for Oppenheimer, but has been made a little bit easier by joining Cooper.

“I always try to look out for her,” Cooper said.

Published on February 5, 2018 at 10:44 pm

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