By Benjamin M. Wilson
With the 2009-2010 season nearing tipoff, the University of Louisville women’s basketball team has added some fresh faces to its roster.
As U of L said goodbye to last year’s two leading scorers, Angel McCoughtry and Candyce Bingham, head coach Jeff Walz has been preparing freshmen power forward Ashley Rainey, guard Nikki Burton, guard Rachel Story and forward Asia Taylor for their future roles in Cardinal basketball.
The freshmen aren’t the only new faces amongst this young team. Junior guard LaToya Johnson and sophomore guard Tia Gibbs will give U of L some firepower in the position. However, Gibbs will have to wait out this season due to NCAA regulations. She is a Louisville native and a transfer from Vanderbilt University.
Since the team is suffering from severe injuries, and many upperclassmen have had limited experience, the coach has high expectations for his new players.
“Last year we had Angel McCoughtry and Candyce Bingham who could take the pressure off our freshmen,” said Walz. “Now they’re going to be thrown in and expected to perform at a high level.”
Rainey’s U of L debut, against Northern Kentucky University, was a bright spot for the women’s basketball program. In 21 minutes of play, Rainey scored 18 points, had 7 offensive rebounds, 5 defensive rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
Success is nothing new for Rainey. In her senior year at Warren East High School, in Bowling Green, Ky., Rainey set a new school record by scoring 3003 career points and grabbing 1419 rebounds.
“I like to succeed and I like to do good,” said Rainey.
But not all of the new faces were able to immediately contribute to the team’s lineup. Burton and Taylor are still recovering from offseason injuries, which further reduces U of L’s rapidly dwindling bench. Those injuries are added to the list of injured players, which includes senior center Chauntise Wright and junior guard Laura Terry. But for freshmen, like Burton, this won’t stop U of L’s women from working long hours to get the team to where it needs to be.
“The freshman class is real talented,” said Burton. “We got a chance to be real good, but we have a few injuries. Once Asia Taylor comes back, we will be set to go.”
Although adjusting to basketball at the college level can be difficult for young players, upperclassmen like Wright and junior guard Deseree’ Byrd are committed to helping the freshmen adjust to this next level of play.
“I think it mostly comes from them knowing that this isn’t high school anymore, and that you have people that are doing what you do, or even better,” said Wright. “Just letting them know that we are here for them.”
Byrd sees the freshman class a bit differently. She feels they still have some improvements to make, in order to become a sturdy team. She believes that, while they may listen to advice from upperclassmen, they tend to forget the lessons after a period of time.
“They are good at listening—transferring over things—five minutes after you tell them,” said Byrd. “But after 10 minutes, well, not so good. We have to stay consistent.”
U of L’s fresh faces will play their next game on the road, as they take on the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
