Sooners adjust to practice with smaller squad
When guard Morgan Rich went down with an ACL tear right before the season, coach Sherri Coale knew she’d have a lot of work on her hands.
With Rich’s injury, the Oklahoma women’s basketball team opened practice Monday with nine players fully participating.
“I’m trying to shoulder as much of that as I possibly can so they don’t have to think about it,” Coale said. “That means setting up drills a little differently sometimes, balancing where things happen in your practice. We have a great core of scout guys, which is very helpful.”
Though Rich’s injury creates problems in practice and eliminates some crucial depth, senior Vionise Pierre-Louis said it’s also brought the team closer together.
“You get to know everybody really personally,” Pierre-Louis said. “We love each other, and we’re like sisters, but you know each other in detail and in depth. We know what you’re strong at. We know what you’re weak at. We know how to help. I feel like I can communicate and relate more with the girls.”
Replacing defense a focal point of the preseason
With the graduation of guard Peyton Little, OU loses a big chunk of its steals from a season ago.
To replace her defensive production, Coale said, OU has to learn to truly enjoy guarding people.
“We’re scoring plenty of points to win basketball games,” she said. “We’ve got to fall in love with guarding people It’s not a magical formula, like we’re going to play this kind of defense or that kind of defense. It’s guys who are convicted about guarding and who find a way, even if they have to trick themselves, find a way to enjoy getting stops and to value that time together.”
Up high
Before and after each practice, the Sooners make a point to spread out across the gym and find members of the team support staff.
When they reach those people, whether they’re managers, sports information staff personnel or statistics keepers, the Sooners reach out for a high-five.
It’s something Coale got her team to start doing when everyone returned to campus this fall.
“We’ve always had a touch rule,” Coale said. “The more touches we can make, the more connected we are, and just wanted to make sure our guys appreciate all the ancillary folks who help make practice work every day. They’re a part of the team too.”