Cal’s unstoppable force
Sophomore Anigwe frustrating opponents, amazing her teammates
Opponents have tried double-teams, triple-teams, boxand-one schemes. They even foul her as if the Jordan Rules were in effect.
Nothing has stopped Cal center Kristine Anigwe.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore averages 23.6 points per game, good for second in the Pac-12 and fourth in the nation. Her 13 double-doubles are No. 3 in the country this season. And the 27 doubledoubles she has posted in her career are the most by any underclassman.
Maybe no one has more appreciation for Anigwe’s skills than the three Cal players who try to stop the unstoppable every day in practice.
“It amazes me the way that she finishes,” said 6-2 senior K.C. Waters. “She finds so many ways to score, and I’m
like, ‘How did she make that?’ ” “It’s ridiculous.” Anigwe is a special blend of size, speed and patience. Even though the Arizona native is often the tallest player on the court, she’s also often the fastest from end to end. When she gets the ball on the block, her footwork summons images of Hakeem Olajuwon.
This week, the Arizona schools will get a firsthand look at the one who got away. (Cal plays Arizona State on Friday night, then Arizona on Sunday.) They’ll also see plenty of Anigwe’s masterful step-through move. Opponents know it’s her best move, but she has perfected the timing of it and speed changes while doing it, so they’re still pretty helpless against it.
“I can fall for it three times in a row,” Waters said.
Anigwe also is working on a spin move and has shown the ability to score on ripthrough moves, off the dribble and with a mid-range jumper this season.
During some drills in practice, Anigwe also can be defended by 6-4 freshman C.J. West, 6-7 Chen Yue and a male practice player.
“She still gets through,” West said. “She can do it all. She’s really patient. She can pump fake you three times, and just when you think she’s about to kick it out, she goes right past you.”
Anigwe had a 50-point game in December, and this month, she recorded her 1,000th career point. Having taken just 47 games, she reached the milestone quicker than any player in conference history and quicker than all but 19 players in the history of women’s college basketball.
The Cal posts revel in Anigwe’s successes. They meet before every game and come up with goals for the position group.
“Nobody really sees what happens behind the scenes, but it’s not just a one-man show,” West said. “We all have a part in things like that.”
Anigwe pushes her fellow frontcourt players in practice, and they push right back. West called the All-American “kind of obsessed.” Yue said competing with her has “greatly benefitted” her game. Waters and Anigwe have a running joke about feeding each other elbows during practice.
“It’s intense. It’s a serious grind to go up against her,” Waters said. “… If I do something well, I feel so accomplished.
“I throw a parade.”