White, along with seniors Brooke Reves, Jaclyn Johnson and Jennifer Jackson, was honored during pre- and postgame ceremonies on Senior Day. During her postgame speech, White broke down as she spoke, thanking coaches, fans and fellow teammates for their continued support during her injury-plagued career.

Because of those injuries, White has chosen not to return for her senior season.

“Last year I was struggling with my knee so much,” White said after the game as she iced her knee. “Now my ankle is bothering me. I’ll have surgery on it after the season.”

KU coach Marian Washington praised White’s efforts.

“I’ve said many times that if Nikki had been healthy, she would have been one of the best centers in the conference,” Washington said. “I’m very proud of Nikki and what she has done here. She doesn’t want to go through surgery and sit out another season. She has done very well academically, too.”

White was forced to red-shirt as a sophomore during the 1998-99 season after undergoing surgery. She returned the following year, becoming the only Division I player to come back after having carticel replacement surgery.

“My sophomore year was so tough,” she said. “I has to sit out the whole season. Overall, I think my attitude has been up and down. I’ve tried to keep a positive attitude and give it all my energy. That’s one thing surgery can’t take away from me.”

Saturday’s game was an emotional one for White, knowing she would not be returning to play in Allen Fieldhouse.

“It was very emotional,” she said. “This was the first time my mother has been able to see me play and I wanted to play hard. I was happy she could see it.”

White has been a key reserve player for KU, scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds against Iowa State last week. Against Missouri on Saturday she scored 11 points, one shy of her career high. She also was 2-for-3 from the free-throw line.

“My shots weren’t all falling, but I was glad I kept going to the basket,” White said. “I was trying to get the ball inside. I just left it all out there on the court.”

Looking ahead to the Big 12 tournament, White said that she and her teammates will continue to work hard.

“We’ve had a tough season, but coach keeps telling us to keep fighting,” White said. “We have the mentality that we can beat teams that we have lost to already.”

White is looking forward to graduate work in clinical psychology. She will finish her undergraduate studies this summer and hopes to become a doctor. White has received several academic honors during her career at KU.

Next for White and the Jayhawks is Texas A&M on Wednesday at College Station. Tipoff is for 7 p.m.