Buffs leaning on their bench
Whittaker, Smith providing spark with second unit
Without hesitation, Charlotte Whittaker took a pass and drained a jumper early in the fourth quarter on Sunday. About 30 seconds later, she did it again.
The Colorado women’s basketball team fell to Oregon State, 6559, in a game where the offense struggled mightily. But, Whittaker was one of the most confident shooters on the team that day, which was another sign of the growth by the 6-foot-3 center this season.
Coming off that loss, the Buffs (20-4, 10-3 Pac-12) are still in great position. But, the No. 8-ranked Buffs face a crucial stretch of road games, beginning Friday at No. 22 Utah (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network) and they’re going to need key reserves, such as Whittaker and Sara-rose Smith, to continue to give them key minutes.
Whittaker, a fifth-year senior who missed the entire 2021-22 season with multiple hip surgeries, has returned to her pre-surgery form this season. But she’s elevated her game in recent weeks.
“(The doctors) gave a minimum of about two years until I even started to feel like myself on the court again,” Whittaker said. “It’s almost getting up to that point and the transition of coming on to the court now and just getting more confident, I think within my body, especially playing now, it’s so great. And hopefully it’ll continue to progress.”
Whittaker is averaging 3.5 points per game in 12.0 minutes off the bench. She had eight points against OSU, marking the third time in the past eight games she has scored at least six points.
It may seem like modest numbers, but the minutes Whittaker
is giving CU — not only as a scorer but as a physical presence in the paint — have been critical.
“This morning we were meeting about something and I said, ‘You are playing so well right now,’” CU head coach JR Payne said. “She just needs to keep that up and we have to keep utilizing her.”
Just as important, Whittaker finished with only two fouls against the Beavers. Last year, as she was still regaining her athleticism, Whittaker committed a foul every 3.98 minutes she was on the court. This year, she’s averaged a foul for every 5.89 minutes as she’s now more in control of her body and playing better defense.
“It’s so funny just like seeing how much I’ve progressed even in that kind of area,” Whittaker said. “It’s funny to think, you think you come back from injury and it’s gonna come as like riding a bike, people say, but it is a lot harder.”
Whittaker has been even better at avoiding fouls in recent weeks. Over the past seven games, she’s averaged a foul for every 8.25 minutes. In that time, she’s also provided more scoring punch (.517 shooting) and contributed as a rebounder and passer. It’s allowed the Buffs to give starters Quay Miller and Aaronette Vonleh rest with confidence.
“It’s important for everyone, just because she’s confident and we’re confident that she can go in and contribute in meaningful ways without putting our opponent on the free throw line or without stopping the clock or whatever that might be,” Payne said. “She looks great and feels great.”
Smith, meanwhile is regaining comfort after missing four games (and nearly three weeks) with a concussion. She’s been back for five games, but didn’t really look like her old self until this past week against the Oregon schools.
“It’s sort of hard to slot yourself back into that mix but I think sort of every minute that you play you get that confidence back,” said Smith, who had four points and five rebounds against Oregon State.
Smith, who averages 4.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, wasn’t even around the team for the first two weeks after her concussion, so it was a slower transition when she did return. But she feels more confident now, just in time for Friday’s game against Utah. In the previous matchup with the Utes, on Dec. 30, Smith had her best game of the year, with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
“We need to get her going again,” Payne said. “We need her to be able to play and contribute. Feeling comfortable is the main thing when you’ve been out as much as she has.”