Episode 13 of the Chi State Pod features former Chicago State women's basketball player and coach Loretta Soria.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Soria trekked to Chicago, where she starred for the Cougars from 2000-04. Upon arrival, Soria was quickly entrenched into the Chicago State community.
"I was greeted by the entire team at the gate," Soria remembered. "This was pre-9/11, obviously. They were all there with signs that said, 'Welcome, Aussie. Welcome to Chicago.' I felt so welcomed to the culture at CSU. I'll never forget that day. It was unreal."
At 95th and King, Soria specialized as a sharpshooter. To this day, she holds Chicago State's Division I single-season record for three-point percentage (46.1%). Soria later returned to the Cougars as an Assistant Coach for the 2013-14 season and now lives in Northwest Indiana, where she is a teacher and coach.
On the podcast, Soria dives into her Chicago State career, shift to coaching and some uncanny differences between life in Australia and life in the Windy City. Click here to listen.
The Chi State Pod serves to tell the stories of Cougars past, present and future through open and honest longform interviews. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
