Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Raca and Senior Class Leave Behind a Lasting Legacy
4/23/2021 12:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
“Ivana will always be our fiery Serbian.” - Jen Hoover
Wake Forest coach Jen Hoover pulled Ivana Raca off the floor with 1:22 left in the NCAA Tournament loss to Oklahoma State and embraced them in an emotional hug as the Bill Greehey Arena crowd saluted her for her final moments as Demon Deacon and all she contributed to the Wake Forest Women's Basketball program.
A prolific individual career, Raca helped lead Wake Forest back to the NCAA Tournament after a 32-year absence, setting a new standard and leaving a legacy behind that will be long remembered.
"I've honestly not wanted to think about that moment," Hoover said about pulling the seniors off the court as the final minute ticked away. "Anytime you have seniors leave your program, I'll say as a coach that's the hardest thing to deal with is those goodbyes. They've meant a lot to us. It's a void that will have to be filled.
"They needed that opportunity to have that curtain call. I hugged them both and told them that I wanted them both back. They know that, but I also understand that they have lives to go live. They've paved the way for the future here."
Raca, along with fellow seniors Gina Conti and Maya Banks, who missed the season due to injury, were a big part of the Hoover building project at Wake Forest. They took the program to the brink of postseason play a season ago, when they pulled to .500 with a pair of wins in the ACC Tournament and were all but assured a WNIT bid before the tournament was canceled as the COVID-19 pandemic made its initial impact in the country.
"With Ivana Raca, I went to Greece to do a home visit with her," Hoover said. "The things this group allowed me to do as a coach and the growth I've had as a coach — I've had a great opportunity to coach and learn from them. They mean the world to me. We will always support them. Hopefully, Ivana will have a chance to play in the Olympics.
"This group means a lot to us. Ivana will always be our fiery Serbian. It's been a special group from day one. I couldn't be more proud and heartbroken."
Raca's name will forever be etched in the Wake Forest record books. She became just the fourth player to be named a First Team All-ACC selection in program history, while also being named a finalist for International Player of the Year.
Her career blossomed as an upperclassmen, recording all 18 of her double-doubles in her final two seasons, ranking sixth in program history. Raca is also one of just four players to rank in the top 10 in scoring with 1,482 points (ninth) and 715 rebounds (10th).
"Ivana Raca brought so much for us when it came to her scoring ability and versatility. Every season when your seniors walk out of that door, you have to replace them. As a group we have to go back to work and see who rises to the top and take on more of a responsibility."
Earning entry into the NCAA Tournament was one step, but now the next step is getting in there, grabbing some wins and making a run — something this year's team was disappointed to not accomplish.
"Ivana and our seniors weren't happy or satisfied with just getting us here either," Hoover said. "They wanted to win. They believed in us, and put a lot of effort and leadership into what we accomplished this year. This is the new standard for Wake Forest.
"Now this is expected. We're expected not just to get to the tournament, but win when we get there. They've been so resilient and have persevered through unprecedented times to take us somewhere this program hasn't been in way too long."
Raca is taking the next step of her own after being chosen in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
She became the first Demon Deacon to be selected since 2015 when the then San Antonio Star chose Dearica Hamby with the sixth overall selection.
Additionally, Raca became just the fifth player ever from Serbia to be chosen in the WNBA Draft (Jelena Milovanovic, 2009, 24th overall; Sonja Petrovic, 2009, 26th overall; Sarah Krnjic, 2011, 35th overall; Dragana Stankovic, 2015, 30th overall). Raca was also the first player selected in the draft to be born in the country of Cyprus.
Like her career at Wake Forest, the Belgrade Serbia native became a trailblazer for future players from her country to play professional basketball in the United States.
A prolific individual career, Raca helped lead Wake Forest back to the NCAA Tournament after a 32-year absence, setting a new standard and leaving a legacy behind that will be long remembered.
"I've honestly not wanted to think about that moment," Hoover said about pulling the seniors off the court as the final minute ticked away. "Anytime you have seniors leave your program, I'll say as a coach that's the hardest thing to deal with is those goodbyes. They've meant a lot to us. It's a void that will have to be filled.
"They needed that opportunity to have that curtain call. I hugged them both and told them that I wanted them both back. They know that, but I also understand that they have lives to go live. They've paved the way for the future here."
Raca, along with fellow seniors Gina Conti and Maya Banks, who missed the season due to injury, were a big part of the Hoover building project at Wake Forest. They took the program to the brink of postseason play a season ago, when they pulled to .500 with a pair of wins in the ACC Tournament and were all but assured a WNIT bid before the tournament was canceled as the COVID-19 pandemic made its initial impact in the country.
"With Ivana Raca, I went to Greece to do a home visit with her," Hoover said. "The things this group allowed me to do as a coach and the growth I've had as a coach — I've had a great opportunity to coach and learn from them. They mean the world to me. We will always support them. Hopefully, Ivana will have a chance to play in the Olympics.
"This group means a lot to us. Ivana will always be our fiery Serbian. It's been a special group from day one. I couldn't be more proud and heartbroken."
Raca's name will forever be etched in the Wake Forest record books. She became just the fourth player to be named a First Team All-ACC selection in program history, while also being named a finalist for International Player of the Year.
Her career blossomed as an upperclassmen, recording all 18 of her double-doubles in her final two seasons, ranking sixth in program history. Raca is also one of just four players to rank in the top 10 in scoring with 1,482 points (ninth) and 715 rebounds (10th).
"Ivana Raca brought so much for us when it came to her scoring ability and versatility. Every season when your seniors walk out of that door, you have to replace them. As a group we have to go back to work and see who rises to the top and take on more of a responsibility."
Earning entry into the NCAA Tournament was one step, but now the next step is getting in there, grabbing some wins and making a run — something this year's team was disappointed to not accomplish.
"Ivana and our seniors weren't happy or satisfied with just getting us here either," Hoover said. "They wanted to win. They believed in us, and put a lot of effort and leadership into what we accomplished this year. This is the new standard for Wake Forest.
"Now this is expected. We're expected not just to get to the tournament, but win when we get there. They've been so resilient and have persevered through unprecedented times to take us somewhere this program hasn't been in way too long."
Raca is taking the next step of her own after being chosen in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
She became the first Demon Deacon to be selected since 2015 when the then San Antonio Star chose Dearica Hamby with the sixth overall selection.
Additionally, Raca became just the fifth player ever from Serbia to be chosen in the WNBA Draft (Jelena Milovanovic, 2009, 24th overall; Sonja Petrovic, 2009, 26th overall; Sarah Krnjic, 2011, 35th overall; Dragana Stankovic, 2015, 30th overall). Raca was also the first player selected in the draft to be born in the country of Cyprus.
Like her career at Wake Forest, the Belgrade Serbia native became a trailblazer for future players from her country to play professional basketball in the United States.
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