In a sport dominated by the perception that it’s more about what you can do on the court than off it to succeed in life, Sacramento State sophomore Atty Boyer shows it’s actually about both in women’s basketball. She is that rare player who can be a force on the court and off.

Boyer has stepped into being a huge part of the Hornets’ plans to succeed in only her second season. But, more importantly, she has used her life off the court to lead to her success on the court.

Boyer, whose full name is Atalanta, was born and raised in Italy until she was 12 years-old. She speaks English, Italian and Spanish, and is an accomplished artist. She picked up these talents as a child overseas. But there is another thing she picked up in Italy: a passion for basketball. She learned how to play in a way most female athletes don’t get the chance to.

“There were not too many girls that played basketball in Italy, so I had to play more with the boys, and they were more aggressive,” Boyer said.

With her family looking at what would give her and her brother a better opportunity in life, they came to the decision to move to the states.

“My mom and dad made a choice that it would be better for the family to be raised here,” Boyer said.

It was in the States that Boyer was able to refine her game and find her way into the Hornet basketball program last year. After a stellar high school career at El Camino High School, in which her senior year produced a 17.0 points per game average as well as a 9.0 rebounds per game average, Boyer found herself the top newcomer during her freshman year.

She came off the bench in 22 games as a freshman and provided the team with depth and scoring in the post. She averaged 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game last year and recorded a season high 11 points against Eastern Washington. Boyer knew as a freshman she was not going to see a lot of minutes, but she decided to make the most of them.

“I just wanted to make the most of the playing time I got,” she said.

But this year is a whole different story for Boyer. She has become a key part of what the Hornets want to do both offensively and defensively.

“Atty is a player who has a lot of unique and natural gifts. She has a nose for the hoop,” coach Dan Muscatell said.

It is those gifts that provided Boyer the time on the court to shine. With an undersized team this season, coach Muscatell is turning to Boyer to lead the way down low.

“She does a good job where she is. She is an undersized post who plays well with her back to the basket,” Muscatell said.

Being undersized and expected to play big, Boyer and her coach both know that hard work is what it will take for her to succeed on the block.

“She’s a better worker than she was last year. She has improved in many areas and she accepts the things she has to work on,” Muscatell said. “Atty has a willingness to be coached. She has a good work ethic and will put in the time.”

Boyer knows that her improvement has come from her increased playing time.

“Playing has helped me a lot. I’m getting the time on the court, and that makes me want to work harder,” Boyer said.

And the improvement has shown. Boyer played well in Hawaii during the Rainbow Wahine Classic, where the Hornets played two of the nation’s top teams, including No. 2 North Carolina.

“It was a lot of fun playing in Hawaii, but it was a struggle playing against those big girls,” she said. The trip to Hawaii has been a microcosm of the season that Boyer has had thus far, where she has averaged 8.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

With nothing but continued success expected in the future, Boyer may find herself in a familiar place – Italy – this time playing basketball on a professional level.

“If I had a choice, I would play professionally overseas. I have never been a big fan of the WNBA. And I have a dual citizenship which would make it easier for me to play there.”

Aaron Boore can be reached at [email protected].