UC Merced Magazine | Volume XIX, Issue VII

By Andrew Mitchell UC Merced women’s basketball junior Paloma Ramirez is nailing the life of a student-athlete. She is a California Pacific Conference champion, a Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and a two-time major award winner, earning Cal Pac Freshman of the Year honors in 2023 and Cal Pac Sixth Player of the Year honors in 2025. She is also a key member of the UC Merced Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Playing college basketball has been Ramirez’s goal since seventh grade. With hard work and sacrifice, including spending her high school weekends waking up at 5:30 a.m. for a 50-mile commute from Watsonville to the Bay Area to play club ball for West Valley Basketball, she received an o er from UC Merced. Committing was a no-brainer. A er that, her basketball goals were simple. “I just wanted to come to UC Merced and have fun and create memories with my teammates,” Ramirez said. Hard work was no longer a goal but a way of life. But it also led to fun, as she became one of just three players in program history to grab at least 325 rebounds and make 60 three-pointers. e others are All-Americans Mia Belvin and Courtney Danna. “Paloma has been a vital part of the women’s basketball team here at UC Merced,” head coach Kellie Bernard said. “I have seen her put in an incredible amount of work into becoming the best player she can be. However, the most important role she has played has been her leadership. I am so proud of the player, student and leader she has become.” Selected as a captain, Ramirez helped lead the youngest team in the conference (72% are underclassmen) to a Cal Pac regular season championship and Cal Pac Tournament championship in 2025. Ramirez also leads by example in the classroom. “A goal of mine is to maintain a 3.5 GPA or above,” the management and business economics major said. “I want to get that every semester. I want to take full advantage of these four years and take pride in what I learn in school.” With her high GPA, Ramirez is one of just three two-time Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes in program history. rough her field of study and love of basketball, Ramirez feels she can stay in the game a long time.

Paloma Ramirez, center, wants to be a role model for younger girls.

“I think about the possibilities of working with professional sports teams a er I graduate,” Ramirez said. “I think it’d be cool to work with the WNBA and the Golden State Valkyries. I definitely love basketball, and I want to stay a part of the sports industry.” She also has a passion for giving back to the younger basketball community when she can. “I was once a little kid going to basketball camps,” Ramirez said. “ e older girls helping me out were role models for me. I want to be a role model now. Just seeing the smiles on the little kids’ faces brings me joy.” Ramirez enjoys the simple things in life. She loves going to Taco Tuesday, shopping at the malls in Fresno and hanging out with her friends. “I’ve learned to take advantage of what I’ve got here in Merced, which is my friends,” said Ramirez. “I know the friendships I’ve made here at UC Merced will be lifelong. We have all learned so much about each other and have created memories that will last forever.”

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