The University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball team has secured commitments from a pair of outstanding guards from the B.C. high school ranks in Jessica Parker and Nikki Cabuco.

Parker, a shooting guard out of Port Coquitlam's Riverside Secondary, and Cabuco, a point guard from Coquitlam's Dr. Charles Best Secondary, join previously announced signee Deanna Tuchscherer in the Cascades' Class of 2019. They will join the UFV women's basketball program next fall.

"We think that Nikki and Jess are two of the best guards in the province right now, and one of the great things about this is, they're the best of friends," Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer enthused. "They've played on the same club team at VK Basketball for the past couple of seasons and have a great relationship and chemistry from that. They're really excited about coming in here together and making an impact."

Jessica Parker
5'8" guard, Princeton, B.C.
Riverside Secondary

Parker has had an outstanding prep basketball career, both in terms of high school and club. Last season, she led her Riverside Rapids to a sixth-place finish at the B.C. AAA high school championships, and earned third team all-star honours. On the club scene, she joined forces with Cabuco to win club national titles with VK Basketball each of the last two summers.

Parker has also suited up for a number of provincial teams. In 2016, she was part of the B.C. U16 squad which won silver at the national championships. In 2017, she was part of B.C.'s squad for the North American Indigenous Games, taking silver after losing to a team from New York in the final.

"She's very dedicated to being the best she can be as a basketball player," Tuchscherer said of Parker. "She's a really gritty, hard-nosed type of player, but she's also very skilled at the same time. She's the kid who's always on the receiving end of Nikki's passes. She runs the floor very well, she can put the ball on the deck and finish in traffic, and she also shoots very well."

"I've had Al as a coach before, and I like his coaching style," Parker said. "I've also played with Nikki and other girls on this team, and when I came to campus and had lunch with them, it felt like such a good fit.

"It's going to be way harder playing at the university level, I know that. I've got to step up and earn my spot. I want to be able to come in not being tentative. I don't want to try to be a leader right away, but I want to come in with a mentality where I can be a leader in the future."

Nikki Cabuco
5'7" guard, Port Moody, B.C.
Dr. Charles Best Secondary

Cabuco is a true point guard – an excellent distributor of the ball who makes those around her better. Her prep resumé is sparkling: In addition to winning the aforementioned national club championships the last two years alongside Parker, she earned tournament MVP honours this past summer.

Cabuco attended a pair of national championships with Team B.C., at the U14 level in 2014, and at the U16 level in 2016, winning silver at the latter event. She also took part in the 2014 BC Summer Games, winning gold with the Fraser Valley zone squad.

"Nikki is a guard who really loves to push the tempo of the game," Tuchscherer said. "She really likes to get her teammates involved and rewards people who run the floor. She's a knockdown shooter, and she can get to the rim. I think she's really key to this recruiting class, in that she's someone other players love to play with. She's really good at bridging relationships with everybody on the team."

Cabuco has been coached by both Tuchscherer and UFV assistant coach Dan Nayebzadeh during her club basketball days, and that familiarity was critical in her decision to sign with the Cascades. The opportunity to continue to build on her chemistry with Parker was also appealing.

"We won't even have to say anything – just the look in her eyes, I can tell when to pass it," Cabuco said. "That familiarity will be really fun.

"I'm excited to be part of a new family with the Cascades. With your high school and club teams, you get so close . . . you're with them every single day. I'm excited to be part of something new and to experience that."