By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
What Dainora Puida brings to the University of Hawai‘i Wahine goes far beyond her unusual basketball talents as a 6-foot-4 post player with a passion for the perimeter.
Deep down, Puida’s most valuable asset might be her appreciation for all that the past four years have brought. She is grateful for everything from electricity to the cookies boosters bake, from husband Nerijus' honesty to the shoes on her feet.
"She says thank you for everything," coach Vince Goo says of his senior from Lithuania. "She is very, very appreciative."
Puida is 25 and — like senior teammate Kylie Galloway, who is two months older — has seen more than most her age, and on her team.
Growing up in Siauliai, Puida's father was president of a tire company. Now the company is bankrupt and Puida, who hasn't been home in three years, doesn't know what her father does. Her mother was forced to move to Chicago to make ends meet.
"It is that bad," Puida says with no emotion. "In Lithuania, life is much harder. Here, everything looks so easy. It's just a better life.
"I know life in America now, but I remember life in Lithuania."
A dream country
When she came to the United States for what would become an All-America junior college career at Weatherford (Texas) College, Dainora Umbrasaite did not speak English. Going to an American college was a "wonderful opportunity" in a "dream country." Nerijus Puida was a friend of seven years, and roommate of a former boyfriend.
On their first Valentine's Day in America, the two "made a commitment to each other." The Wahine first saw her that freshman year at Weatherford. The Rainbows began recruiting Nerijus a year later.
Their games are nothing alike. That does not stop them from analyzing each other's performances.
"There is a lot of constructive criticism," Goo says. "After a not very good performance, Dainora is not the first one out of the locker room. When she does come out, Nerijus will be in the parking lot waiting for her. After a good game, she’s out of there quick and he meets her in the hallway with a stat sheet."
In her first few months here, Puida fessed up to a 5-year-old knee injury. When it originally happened in Lithuania, her treatment consisted of one year off, then playing without an anterior cruciate ligament.
She had surgery in the spring, and was in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. But 6-foot-5 sophomore Christen Roper began swatting shots at a record rate, and that defensive presence earned her the starting post position.
"Dainora is OK with it," Goo insists. "She has not said a word since she lost her spot. The only comment was from Nerijus and Mindaugas (Burneika). They said, ‘Rope playing good.’ "
The two share the position — Puida is averaging six minutes more than Roper — and are combining for 14 rebounds, 16 points and nearly four blocks a game. Puida leads the team in rebounding, is third in scoring — behind fellow seniors Crystal Lee and Galloway — and has six double-doubles.
In those games, Puida flaunts her penchant for snagging rebounds and sneaking free for awkward-looking, one-handed 3-pointers from the top of the key. Nerijus waits after, stat sheet in hand.
"He is very smart, very honest · all these qualities of a good husband and boyfriend," Dainora says. "Honesty means to me so much, and he never lies."
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