There will, undoubtedly, be a big-time cheering section for Frank Kaminsky during this year’s NBA Draft. After all, the former Wisconsin big-man was the National Player of the Year, a dominant force on both sides of the ball, and helped lead the Badgers to a championship game appearance in March.
One person to watch out for in Kaminsky’s cheering section? His girlfriend Deme Morales.
The pair have dated for over a year and have documented their relationship with everything from supportive tweets to Instagram photos and even a now-infamous video of Kaminsky dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
Here’s what you need to know about Kaminsky’s equally athletic girlfriend:
1. Morales Grew up in Ohio & Has Two Older Brothers
Morales was born in Amherst, Ohio and grew up in the small town with her parents, Beth and Aquilino. The youngest of three children, Morales has two older brothers, Ben and Esiah. Deme is actually a nickname and her full name is Maria Demencia.
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2. She Was the 2010 Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year
Morales has been dominating on the volleyball court for the better part of the past decade. Prior to her four seasons as a Badger, the Ohio native was a leader at Amherst High School where, despite her 5-foot-7 frame, she found her niche with raw power and an undeniably impressive vertical leap.
Morales explained her in-sport approach to the Morning Journal during her senior season:
You can remember how it feels. People can say they remember a certain play from a certain game but I just remember how it feels and seeing everybody around you pumped up. You can hear and feel the crowd after in your chest. I have two different personalties. On the court I am really competitive. Outside the court I feel awkward talking about myself.
A soccer player originally, Morales learned volleyball by playing constantly during middle school and, surprisingly enough, with the help of a book her father bought her. It worked. As a senior, Morales broke school records in kills, blocks and aces. She was a two-time all-state selection and, in 2010, was named Gatorade state Player of the Year.
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3. Morales Played Four Years of Volleyball at Wisconsin
Morales collegiate career was nothing short of dominant.
In 2013 she played in all 38 matches and helped the Badgers to the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance. That same season she was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team as well as the Regional All-Tournament team . For good measure, Morales served as one of the team’s primary passers that year, getting aced just 26 times in 751 reception attempts.
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Morales discussed the Final Four appearance with The Chronicle Telegram:
It’s awesome. It’s way worth all the work that we’ve put into it and everything that we’ve done to get here. It’s hard to explain the feeling. You just want to keep going, you don’t want to stop.
Morales seized her opportunities as a junior and senior, moving up from the back row to play a full rotation when injuries took their toll on the Badgers. Despite her lack of height, she found a way to make the position work, compensating with a 32-inch vertical jump and a serve that seemed to fly by opponents.
4. She Was a Youth Mentor at John Muir Elementary & a Volunteer for Badgers Give Back
(Twitter)
According to her Linkedin, Morales is an active volunteer, both through the Wisconsin athletic program and on her own time.
Her page lists work at John Muir Elementary school, where she mentored a first grade girl with reading spelling and behavior, as well as the program Badgers Give Back. The Badgers Give Back program was created in 2012 as a means to serve the Madison community through interaction with the school’s student-athletes. Per the site, in the 2013-14 academic year, the group logged over 8,100 volunteer hours and 280 appearances.
5. Morales Graduated From UW This Spring
Morales wrapped up her career, athletically and academically, at Wisconsin this spring, crossing the stage with a degree in life sciences communications.
Now what?
That’s a question Morales is trying to answer.
In an interview with Wisconsin athletics, Morales planned out her future:
I am currently applying for jobs in social/digital marketing, public relations and marketing associate/assistant in Madison, and other places around the U.S. Also this summer, I’ll be working Badger volleyball camps. In the fall, I hope to either be working or playing volleyball overseas or in Puerto Rico. We’ll see where life takes me!