When you meet Bojana Nikolic, her energy is contagious. At just 18 years old, she already carries the poise of an athlete who knows what it means to represent her country, her city, and her team. Currently playing for ŽKK Vardar Skopje in the top league of North Macedonia, Bojana is not only a rising star on the court, but also a beacon of confidence and inspiration for the next generation of girls who dream of basketball.

From dance to the court

Her basketball journey started in an unexpected way. “It’s a really funny story because back then I did competitive dancing and my sister was playing basketball. She’s three years younger than me, so she was going on practice and everything. At first I thought it was boring, but then when I went to one practice, it was really amazing and it was really fun. That’s how I started playing.”

Running quickly became the hook that kept her going. “At first I didn’t really like it, but when I started training, like running, I think I love to run and that was the first thing that I saw. No, I didn’t like athletics, it’s not that interesting. It’s like with the ball and you know, play.”

Falling in love with defense

If you ask Bojana what defines her game, the answer comes without hesitation: defense. “If someone watched me play for the first time, I hope they would notice my defense. I really love to play defense. I think that’s the specialty in me, the defense I play.”

Bojana already carries the memory of multiple championships with her youth team in Skopje. “It’s not one, it’s three actually. With my generation here in Skopje we won three times. They were three times I would never forget, because now I’m older and I can’t play with them anymore. Those finals were really exciting and they are going to be with me for the rest of my life because they were amazing.”

Winning never came without emotion. “For the first time it was really amazing. I was crying actually. I was crying all the times that we won because I knew that the time was going to come that I’d become older and couldn’t play with my teammates. It was really emotional.”

Growing at Vardar Skopje

For the past four to five years, Bojana has worn the red of Vardar Skopje, competing at the highest level of Macedonian women’s basketball. “When I first played in the highest league of North Macedonia, it was pretty exciting. I was little and didn’t get many minutes then, but I was really scared, what if I made a mistake, you know? Because I was a little girl. Now I’m not like that, I really enjoy it.”

That growth shows in her team’s results. “Last season, with the senior team, we played first league and we were third or fourth. The teams in our league are really close, there’s not a team that’s really above others. So it’s really exciting. We have a really exciting season. We did make a lot of progression.”

Looking ahead, Bojana is ambitious. “This season I play with the seniors only, not with the little girls anymore. I really hope we can get past the fourth and third place and maybe play in the finals, like we played two years ago. I really hope we win. I think with the great chemistry between the girls and also playing good defense, if everybody is with each other like one, that’s going to help us win.”

Wearing the national jersey

In 2022, Bojana experienced the honor of pulling on the national team jersey for the first time with North Macedonia’s U16 squad. “It was really exciting. I was scared at once because it was my first time. I don’t remember the exact feeling, but I know I was really happy that I was there. I was really proud that I could represent my country.”

The results weren’t perfect, but the lessons were invaluable. “We had really good chemistry, but we were not that good at that time. I think we needed more time to prepare for EuroBasket. We finished around 18th, something like that. But I will always remember it.”

By the summer of 2023, she had matured into a key player for the U18 team. “This year I remember that feeling. I was really happy that I was there again. I was not thinking like the last time, because I’ve grown up so much. I was more confident in myself than I was the last time, and I think that gave me a great performance.”

Her shining moment came against Romania. “That was my best game. I think I will remember it forever, like when I’m older. Against Romania I was feeling more confident than I was with Sweden, for example. I also gave a great performance with Austria too. It’s the feeling, you wake up and how you feel that day, that really changes everything.”

A message for the next generation

More than her own journey, Bojana hopes her story inspires others. “First I want to tell them that you always have to believe in yourself, because others won’t do it for you. When I was little, when I started playing, I didn’t have that much confidence. No one could see me because I was not that confident. I want to tell them that you should be confident. Maybe you’re good, but if you don’t have confidence, you can’t get anywhere, like in other countries to play or something like that. You always have to have confidence, even a little bit.”

As she prepares for her fifth season with Vardar, Bojana Nikolic is ready to carry her defensive grit, team-first mentality, and growing confidence into the next chapter. Whether it’s in Skopje, on the national stage, or perhaps even abroad one day, one thing is clear: she is a player to watch, and her passion for the game shines just as brightly as her future.