The Underrated Tour Phoenix Spotlight: Matelin Ochea | Rakuten

Young basketball players feel a different kind of pressure to get noticed and make it beyond their high school basketball careers. For Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, he knows this feeling all too well. As a high school basketball player, Curry was an underrated three-star prospect who was overlooked by the top collegiate basketball programs in the U.S.. However, he worked hard during his time at Davidson College to turn the doubters into believers. He demonstrated that he was indeed worthy of a chance in the big leagues, then went on to win three NBA Championships and two titles as the NBA MVP. The Underrated Tour was started by Stephen Curry and sponsored by Rakuten to give under-appreciated athletes like he once was the opportunity to showcase their talents to coaches and scouts nationwide. This tour was the right motivation for Matelina Ochea, who has been playing on her high school girls’ basketball team for the past four years. When she was close to scoring 1,000 points during her senior year, their basketball season was cancelled halfway through, robbing her of the chance to be recognized during her Senior Night. Matelina saw the Underrated Tour in Phoenix as encouragement to continue playing basketball and to take the next step and pursue college women’s basketball to get herself noticed. For Matelina, Curry’s story hits close to home. He was once the basketball player who went unnoticed, and he became somebody he never thought he would be with dedication and a passion for the sport. These values and more are one of the biggest reasons why Rakuten is proud to partner with Curry on the Underrated Tour, to support young athletes like Matelina on their journey to success. Steph Curry and Rakuten believe in the future for all. Learn more about Rakuten, Stephen Curry and the Underrated Tour here: https://www.rakuten.com/