So passionate that you cannot imagine life without it?
 
For Grand Canyon University Women's Club Basketball alumnus Daniela Lopez, that is basketball.
 
"I started playing when I was around seven years old," said Lopez. "I instantly fell in love with the competition. I wanted to keep playing in college and beyond."
 
With relentless dedication and drive, Lopez made her dream a reality.
 
After two years at Trinity International University (Illinois), Lopez transferred to GCU as a junior and joined the women's club basketball team.
 
"She always had a contagious, competitive spirit that inspired her teammates," said GCU Women's Club Basketball Head Coach Josh Braun. "She is an extremely versatile player and is able to score in a variety of ways, which was a game changer for our team."
 
As a Lopes' junior in 2023, Lopez helped lead the team to its first-ever Arizona Women's Basketball League Championship. The following year, the Lopes finished second in both the AWBL and the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association National Championships.
 
"I was disappointed to lose those games - especially when we were strong enough to win both NIRSA and AWBL - but it was also my last game at GCU and I just wanted to enjoy the moment," said Lopez.
 
Although Lopez was proud of her team's accomplishments, she was not done yet. Lopez graduated from GCU with a nutritional science degree and moved back home to Spain where her basketball career took a new turn.
 
"After graduation, I stopped playing 5-on-5 and started playing 3-on-3," said Lopez. "It's a new modality of basketball that I had to learn, but I love the challenge and the opportunity to continue playing basketball."
 
Lopez quickly adapted to this format playing with the Mérida LP2K Woka Club Basketball League. Her team not only dominated the league finals but clinched the title.
 
"Winning that championship was very important to us because it gave us the chance to qualify for the World Cup - something we see as impossible but a great chance to compete against the highest level of 3-on-3," said Lopez.
 
Beyond the court, Lopez is also pursuing another lifelong goal: becoming a pharmacist.
 
"I always loved going to work with my mom at her pharmacy," Lopez said. "I spend a lot of my time studying, but I look forward to going back to Leon, where I grew up, and continuing to work alongside my mom."
 
Despite her busy schedule, Lopez has learned that finding joyful hobbies is essential for a balanced lifestyle that helps keep her mentally and physically ready as a student-athlete.
 
"I've recently been addicted to dancing salsa and bachata," said Lopez. "I spend so much time sitting in a classroom that dancing gives me a balance between everything else, which is important to me, so I don't get burned out."