Former Lobo standout goes from court to court
Miranda Sanchez now works in her father’s law office
Leonardo da Vinci’s famous work of art, “Mona Lisa,” has been on display at The Louvre in Paris since 1797. The American Mona Lisa can be found at her father’s law office in southeast Albuquerque, where she has worked since 2012.
Miranda Sanchez, one of the most popular and best 3-point shooters in University of New Mexico women’s basketball history, has hung up her sneakers — for the most part — and is working in the family business as an attorney at the Law Office of Robert M. Sanchez.
Sanchez, 35, has gone from making baskets at Sandia High School, UNM and in France to assisting her father in handling cases ranging from personal injury to criminal defense to family matters.
“She’s helped me a whole bunch,” Robert Sanchez said. “She comes in her and knocks out some serious stuff. We’ve had some nice responses from people talking about how compassionate she is. She takes this very seriously and tries to help people. She’s helped me get involved in a couple of family matter cases, which are very difficult, and she’s helped some people who were in a mess.”
Sanchez earned some nice responses from UNM fans during her time as a Lobo. She is one of 13 players in program history to finish her career with 1,000
points and 500 rebounds. She set a school record with eight 3-pointers in a 2000 game, and her 186 career 3-pointers are third most in UNM history.
“She’s was kind of unique in the fact that she was a post player who probably shot the 3-point shot as well as my guards,” former UNM head coach Don Flanagan said. “She was really efficient coming down on the fast break and hitting the 3.”
That 3-point shot had a lot to do with Sanchez’s popularity among Lobo fans, but also being born and raised in Albuquerque may have earned her a little extra love.
“At that time it was an upand-coming program and they didn’t have a lot of local athletes,” Sanchez said. “I think I brought that to the program. This is just a tight-knit community all around, and they support local people.”
Flanagan added: “She’s popular with people, she’s a people person. I don’t know anybody who didn’t like Miranda. … As a coach, I sure liked her. I never saw her get upset. Her temperament was really terrific. Probably the fans saw that too, that she competed real hard and she never got down when things weren’t going our way. I can see how fans can get behind someone of that basketball character.”
After leaving UNM and her fans, Sanchez spent three years playing professional basketball in France, where a local writer affectionately dubbed her “The American Mona Lisa.”
Asked for an explanation, she said, “That’s silly, I have no idea. It was one of the writers. Who knows? They do crazy things out there.”
Sanchez not only got a fancy nickname during her time in France; she also got paid about $3,000 per month along with free housing, utilities, food and travel. Most importantly, she got a chance to extend her basketball career, albeit against lesser competition.
“I couldn’t even compare it to Division I and it’s supposed to be semi-professional,” Sanchez said. “It’s so laid back, you practice four days a week for a couple hours. Everybody else had other jobs that they did, but that was my only job. So I had a lot of time to go out and see the city. I wouldn’t say I made a fortune off of it but I sure enjoyed my time.”
Before enjoying her time in France, Sanchez had a tryout with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and then-head coach Michael Cooper, the former Lobo basketball legend, in 2001. She said the tryout went well, though it didn’t lead to a job.
She then spent one year in Roubaix in northern France and the other two years in Leon in the south.
“I was a young kid, still,” Sanchez said. “Coming straight out of college and growing up with family and friends around you and not living outside of my comfort zone, stepping out was a big deal, and I was scared.
“But I learned a lot in those three years. I saw the world and made a lot of friends. It was a tough decision but it was something I wanted to do.”
Sanchez always knew something else she’d do was follow her father into law.
During her first run at UNM, she studied political science and criminal law.
“But I figured I’d do what I wanted before,” she said. “There’s always time to go back to school.”
That time came in 2008, when Sanchez returned home from an AAU coaching stint in Northern California and enrolled in UNM Law School.
Four years later, Sanchez passed the bar.
“She did very well academically,” Flanagan said. “I wouldn’t call Miranda one of our best students. Studies weren’t her favorite thing when she was an undergraduate, but I know she had to study to pass the bar exam. I’m really proud of the fact that she’s done so well.”
As for the law, Sanchez said is still learning, but she’s using the teamwork skills she developed along the way.
“I’m just getting my feet wet pretty much,” Sanchez said. “I like our atmosphere just because it’s real laid back, just my dad and I. We work well together — for the most part.”