Some say it takes two to tango.
But for the women’s basketball team, whose tango in the
NCAA Tournament last spring ended prematurely in the second round,
they will have a multitude of players who are ready to take another
shot at the Big Dance.
This season could mark a turnaround for the Bruins, as two of
the three members of the “triple threat,” Nikki Blue
and Lisa Willis, are gone.
This leaves senior guard Noelle Quinn and junior forward Lindsey
Pluimer leading a squad of largely unproven and untested young
players back into action as the NCAA’s 20th-ranked team.
UCLA will rely on a bigger and younger inside presence, in
contrast to last year when the three-guard lineup was the norm.
“Last year we had all five starters returning,”
coach Kathy Olivier said. “We had a veteran team, they were
ready to go. This year it’s a little different. We have size
inside. We have Noelle and Pluimer playing different roles, and we
have more depth and with that are a lot of freshmen.”
These younger players provide the team with size and an inside
presence that the Bruins have not had in recent years.
“Our size is a little bit unique and obviously different
from last year,” Olivier said. “We have some post
players that are extremely aggressive. We have some big bodies
inside, so that opens up the perimeter a little more.”
Because of this size inside ““ led by sophomore Chinyere
Ibekwe (6-foot-4), senior Amanda Livingston (6-foot-1) and freshman
Moniquee Alexander (6-foot-6) ““ Pluimer (6-foot-4) will have
the opportunity to be more of an outside, 3-type player compared to
previous years.
“Pluimer is playing more on the perimeter,” Olivier
said. “She still can mix it up inside, which is a good thing.
She’s more versatile than she’s ever been.”
This versatility will be necessary for the Bruins, whose leader,
Quinn, will be playing a hybrid point-forward position so that her
abilities will not be limited.
“She’s taking care of everyone else,” Olivier
said. “Sometimes she needs to focus on herself. We just
don’t want to lose any scoring from Noelle because
she’s focusing so much on making sure everyone else is in the
right spot. We’re trying not to pigeonhole her into one
position and let her have a little more freedom.”
Although the Bruins graduated five seniors last season, the
players who remain remember the loss that ended their season and
are aware of what it takes to make it back. But with only one game
under their belts, it may be too early for NCAA Tournament
talk.
“This team’s smart,” Olivier said. “I
know they have an awareness of what went on last year, and as
disappointing as a second-round exit was, we have to make sure we
take care of business early.”
A big part of that for the Bruins will include being disruptive
on defense and forcing teams out of their comfort zones, like in
their blowout victory over UC Santa Barbara on Sunday.
“This team needs to remain hungry,” Olivier said.
“We need to be very active. We’re going to compete, and
I think that’s with the youth. And the leadership of Pluimer
and Noelle and Tierra (Henderson) has been stepping it up ““
she’s been very vocal. If we just count on Noelle and
Pluimer, it’s going to get us in trouble.”
With a nonconference schedule as tough as any, the Bruins
can’t afford to look ahead to any potential redemption in the
postseason this early on. The Bruins leave this morning for
Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers on
Thursday and will play host to the No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on
Tuesday.
“We have a great schedule to see where we are as far as
the rest of the country,” Olivier said.
In a tough Pac-10 conference ““ five teams are in the top
20 ““ and with a young lineup, all the Bruins can do is take
it one game at a time and keep improving where they can, Olivier
said.
And when March comes, they just hope they will be dancing.