'I love to play.' At 46, Xavier Hall-of-Famer Taru Tuukkanen named Finals MVP in Finland

When Taru Tuukkanen first arrived at Xavier from Finland in the summer of 1997, she was very straightforward to head coach Melanie Balcomb on what she wanted from basketball.

“I said, ‘I’m gonna play until I’m 90. Then, I’m gonna die taking a charge on the court,’” Tuukkanen explained.

The coaches laughed. But 27 years later, Tuukkanen is still playing high-level hoops at the professional level and playing it well.

Playing in the Korisliiga, the top Finnish women’s professional league, Tuukkanen, 46, helped lead Torpan Pojat (ToPo) to a championship on April 23. Tuukkanen was named MVP of the finals after turning in a 13-point, 13-rebound, 14-assist triple-double.

It was the first championship on the women’s side for ToPo, the club that Tuukkanen first started playing for 36 years ago.

“It was a really big deal for the whole club,” she said. “I started playing here at 10.”

'Passion for the game.'

Since leaving Xavier, the last three decades have taken Tuukkanen all over the globe with stints in France, Italy, Spain and Finland. She’s the oldest player in the Korisliiga and estimates that the second-oldest player is around 32.

What’s her secret?

“The passion for the game,” Tuukkanen said. “I love to play.”

Fortunately, Tuukkanen has never suffered any serious injuries over the years. She guesses she’s missed only a handful of games over her illustrious career.

“I don’t have any aches or pains anywhere. I’m practicing the exact same way as the younger players. I think it’s the genes, too,” she said. “I’ve always believed that my body will recover on its own. I practice and play hard all the time still. I’ve never quit that. It’s been going on for all these years.”

She’s even timed the birth of both of her daughters in the offseason so she wouldn’t miss a game. Twice, Tuukkanen played the final stretch of a season during her first trimester. She gave birth in November and was back in time for the start of the season in the winter.

“I have the passion and a crazy mind that I cannot get enough basketball,” Tuukkanen said. “I understand it’s not normal at all for someone to still be able to do this.”

'My fondest memory of basketball.'

Long before she was defying the odds in professional basketball, Tuukkanen was just a high-risk recruit from Finland, who Xavier offered a scholarship after just one VHS highlight tape. The highlights had to be converted into a compatible format, but the Musketeers brought her into the mix, sight unseen.

Like many international recruits, Tuukkanen had to navigate the learning curve and adjust to the longer practices and increased conditioning in American basketball.

“It was a different world,” she remembers.

The Xavier coaching staff also had to break down to the fundamentals of the game to an up-tempo, flashy recruit.

Xavier prioritized Tuukkanen’s foot work, and it paid off in a big way. Tuukkanen was a double-digit scorer as a freshman in the 1997-98 season. It kicked off a stellar career that would eventually land her in the Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Tuukkanen, a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and an Honorable Mention All-American, sits at fourth all-time in program history in points (1,785), sixth in points per game (14.1), fourth in rebounds (857) and third in blocks (103).

More importantly, Tuukkanen’s contributions led to team success. The Musketeers went a combined 98-29 during her career with three NCAA Tournament appearances, two conference tournament titles and one regular season A-10 championship.

Tuukkanen had 19 points in a first-round victory over Florida International in 1999, the first NCAA Tournament win in Xavier history. Two years later, No. 4 Xavier beat No. 5 Clemson in Birmingham, Alabama. The Musketeers told the media afterward they wanted to play top-seeded Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

Legendary Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt heard of this. The Hall-of-Famer warned, “they got their wish, but you’d better be prepared for what you wish for.”

Xavier was. Tuukkanen had 12 points and 9 rebounds to help lead Xavier to an 80-65 victory and the program’s first-ever Elite Eight berth.

“Those were the best seasons,” she said. “The teams were amazing; we had such great chemistry, and we did great things. Xavier is my fondest memory of basketball.”

'Why not keep going?'

Tuukkanen is used to the question by now. She’s been asked about her retirement date for the last 15 years. It’s an annual tradition at this point.

Coming off a championship and a Finals MVP, there’s plenty of gas still in the tank and her passion for the game has never wavered.

“I’ll know when it’s time. I don’t want to play if I’m not good,” she said. “As long as there’s a team that wants me and I feel like I can give something to them, then why not keep going?”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier great Tuukkanen wins championship in Finland, named Finals MVP