The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Versatility has been hallmark for Huskies
PHILADELPHIA >> Before landing in Philadelphia and becoming the winningest women’s basketball coach in Temple history, Tonya Cardoza had the pleasure of being an assistant coach on some of the best women’s basketball teams in the history of the sport during her days at UConn.
Jen Rizzotti, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi were among Cardoza’s prize pupils as the Huskies won the first five of a record 11 national championships. Cardoza certainly has more of an insight of what makes a great UConn team, and there is one specific aspect of this current group of Huskies that really catches her eye.
“Their starting five, any one of them can play any position, any one of them can handle the basketball that is what makes them even better this year is because of their athleticism,” Cardoza said. “Napheesa (Collier) and Gabby (Williams) both being so long and being able to sit down and guard a guard, that makes it really dif-
FROM PAGE 1 ficult that any one of them can take you into the post and post up. The most important this is they make shots, they shoot a high percentage every single one of them, they don’t miss open shots.”
UConn certainly didn’t miss many shots — at least in the first half — in Wednesday’s game against the Owls.
The Huskies missed a total of two shots inside the 3-point line in the first half an despite a less than stellar third quarter, the Huskies rolled to a 97-69 victory over Temple in a game that posted the best ratings in the New York market of all the games televised by SNY, UConn’s regional broadcast partner.
UConn had at least 10 steals and 10 blocked shots for just the second time this season. The aforementioned Collier and Williams combined for four of their team’s 10 steals and eight of the 10 blocked shots.
“It is easier because knowing we could switch everything,” Collier said. “It can be quick and easy when we get out on the shooters a lot better. They are a lot of fun to play with, they make it easier when we’re out there together.”
Dangerfield back
Freshman guard Crystal Dangerfield’s has had more impactful games and gaudier stat lines after finishing with six points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one turnover in 18 minutes. However, after missing the previous five games due to a stress reaction in her left foot, Dangerfield’s return to the court gave the Huskies another option off the bench.
“She hasn’t practiced except maybe for a day or two and she hasn’t played in a long time and I thought there were some good signs there,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Just her being out there helps us. Just her being out on the floor gives us a chance to rest a couple of players. Kia (Nurse) has a bad ankle, she twisted it (on Tuesday) and it has been bothering her so she wasn’t 100 percent. It is good to get people some rest. I thought she was good. She hasn’t played a lot so it was good in that respect.”
Atkinson hits mark
It’s not every day that an in-state product can lay claim to having a 20-point game against UConn. Actually it is not an every-year event either. The last time it happened was when Stamford’s Da’Shena Stevens had 27 against the Huskies in February of 2009.
Now it is time to add New Haven’s Tanaya Atkinson to the list as she had 15 of her team-high 20 points in the second half for Temple.
Atkinson was 6 for 11 from the field in the second half with one of those misses courtesy of a blocked shot by Williams.
“I think Gabby blocked my shot a couple of times and she is a great athlete and that is what she does,” Atkinson said. “One thing I had to do was be physical and it is like Coach (Cardoza) said in shootaround, if you are going to go in there, go get And 1s (threepoint plays), don’t shy away from contact and that is what we did in the first half. In the second half I didn’t care, I went in there.”