State native Thompson making impression at ECU

Taniyah Thompson had intended to play for Rhode Island, but plans changed when the coach who recruited her was fired.

The Hamden native reopened her recruitment and entertained interest from a few New England schools, including Hartford and Providence, before signing with East Carolina in April.

So far, it looks like a wise choice. Thompson, a guard, has made an instant impact for the Pirates and their new coach, former Hartford coach Kim McNeill, averaging 15.5 points (second on the team) and 4.8 rebounds through four games. That includes a 25point effort in a victory over USC Upstate on Nov. 8.

Thompson is showing the same playmaking abilities that she did at Hamden, where she scored a schoolrecord 1,877 points and was named to a pair of allstate teams. She was instrumental in the Green Dragons’ run to the SCC title in February, scoring 35 points in a win over East Haven.

Thompson considered staying with Rhode Island even after Daynia LaForce was fired, but she was already familiar with McNeill’s staff dating to their time at Hartford.

“I never back down from a challenge,” Thompson told Hearst Connecticut Media in May. “Being in the AAC, there are a lot of good players and coaches. I’ll have to come with my Agame and work hard. Trust the process, stay focused, don’t be afraid to be different and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.”

McNeill was hired in March, replacing Chad Killinger and Nicole Mealing, who were serving on an interim basis. Heather Macy resigned before the start of last season amid an internal review by the school’s office of compliance.

The Pirates, who are off to a 13 start, will host UConn on Jan. 25. Changing times: So much has changed for Notre Dame since last season’s run to the national championship game. All five starters graduated, including the No. 1 (Jackie Young), No. 5 (Arike Ogunbowale) and No. 11 (Brianna Turner) overall picks in the WNBA Draft, leaving behind a considerable rebuilding project for Muffet McGraw.

Backtoback home losses to Tennessee and Michigan State dropped the Fighting Irish to 22 and resulted in them falling out of the Associated Press poll this week for the first time since the end of the 200607 season. The Fighting Irish — who began the season ranked No. 16 — had been ranked in the Top 25 for 234 consecutive weeks, longer than any program in the country besides UConn (492) and Baylor (302).

The Fighting Irish returned only two players who averaged more than 3.0 points per game in 201819. Right now, two of their top four scorers are freshmen: Sam Brunelle and Anaya Peoples.

ONO standing out: UConn forward Olivia NelsonOdoda was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week Monday. The 6foot5 forward had 14 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a victory over Vanderbilt, then notched 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a conference win against Temple.

NelsonOdoda has been particularly adept on the offensive glass, grabbing 20 of her 35 rebounds on that end of the floor. She also has recorded 13 blocks, tying her for fourthmost in the country.

“The blocks, we need that from her,” point guard Crystal Dangerfield said. “We tell her every time, ‘At least challenge a shot.’ If anything, you’re making them think about it, and that’s going to change their shot. She’s doing a great job at that.”

NelsonOdoda said she already feels more comfortable than she did last year, when she mainly came off the bench.

“I definitely got a lot more experience at the post at the college level,” she said. “There’s always, of course, things to work on, especially finishing.”

Thompson