Basketball: Cocks signs for Oregon as Loffhagen misses cut

Commonwealth Games basketball silver medallist Micaela Cocks has signed a letter of intent to play for Oregon State University in the United States.

But as one national team member heads to the US, another has just returned.

Donna Loffhagen, who had been trialling with the Connecticut Sun, missed the cut with the Women's National Basketball Association league club and is back home and thinking of retiring.

Cocks, a guard, averaged 10.7 points and 2.9 rebounds a game in the national women's league. She was the most valuable player at the 2004 New Zealand under-20 championship.

"We are very excited and pleased with Micaela's decision to become a Duck," Oregon coach Bev Smith said.

Cocks played three seasons with Harbour (2002-03, 2005) and one with Waikato (2004), where she scored 12.7 points per game.

Seven of Oregon's 12 players are from outside the US, representing Australia, Canada, Italy and New Zealand.

Loffhagen, a basketball and netball international, is considering retirement after missing the cut with the Sun.

A disappointed Loffhagen will take the next week to decide her sporting future.

"That's the million-dollar question," she said.

"I could be a lady of leisure, [but] I guess I have to get a job.

"As far as sport goes, I'm going to chill out for a week because I'm not too sure."

Loffhagen had spent almost five weeks trialling with the WNBA team, only to be cut on the final day of the pre-season and she caught a flight home the following day.

"I don't think I'll go back to netball. Basketball - I don't know either. I might get bored after chilling out for a week, I'm not too sure what I'm going to do, to be honest."

The 28-year-old former Silver Fern and Sting vice-captain said she would now be able to complete the three papers she still had to do for her sport and recreation degree at the Southern Institute of Technology.

She said she was gutted at missing selection for the Sun.

"It sucks. I've just wasted five weeks of my life - that's what it feels like."

- NZPA