This could be the year of the guards in women’s college basketball.
Each of the teams picked to reach the Final Four receives direction and inspiration from a superb backcourt leader: Alana Beard of Duke, Kara Lawson of Tennessee, Nicole Powell of Stanford and Diana Taurasi of Connecticut.
Several other teams could challenge for Final Four berths because they too have outstanding guards: Alicia Ratay at Notre Dame, Lindsay Whalen at Minnesota, Kelly Mazzante at Penn State and Valerie King at Cincinnati.
Last spring’s NCAA championship game was to have been the ultimate showdown among classic guards. Connecticut had player of the year Sue Bird and the versatile 6-foot Taurasi to match against Oklahoma star Stacey Dales and LaNeishea Caufield.
“The two best backcourts this year are playing for the championship,” UConn coach Gene Auriemma said at the time. “Whether they’re the best ever, I don’t know.”
Then the title game began, and three 6-foot-2-inch seniors–Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones–thoroughly dominated the boards and the game as the unbeaten Huskies (39-0) won the title.
This season several big women are responsible for their teams being ranked in this preseason Top 25.
Kara Braxson, a 6-6 sophomore from Georgia, could lead the Lady Bulldogs to the Final Four. So could 6-6 Chantelle Anderson for Vanderbilt, also from the powerful Southeastern Conference.
Others are 6-4 Nicole Ohlde of Kansas State, 6-2 Jacqueline Batteast of Notre Dame, 6-5 Mary Jo Noon of Purdue, 6-2 Dennie Merrill of Cincinnati, 6-3 Cheryl Ford of Louisiana Tech, 6-2 Janel McCarville of Minnesota, 6-4 Ugo Oha of George Washington and 6-8 Lindsey Taylor of Cal-Santa Barbara.
Notre Dame is one of several teams blessed with a high-low scoring combo. Ratay, a 5-11 junior from Lake Zurich, led the land in three-point accuracy. Batteast seeks to improve on impressive freshman averages of 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
The Irish are likely to go as far as the contributions they receive from their other starters: 6-3 sophomore Teresa Borton, 6-2 sophomore Katy Flecky and 5-8 junior point guard Le’Tania Severe.
Severe’s passing and shooting has improved significantly, and in the opening exhibition game, Borton scored 20 points, going 8-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the foul line.
Duke’s Beard, a 5-11 junior, played outstanding defense while averaging 19.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists last year for a team that finished 31-4 and made the Final Four for the second time in four years. Duke’s entire starting cast returns along with a recruiting class rated No. 1 in the nation.
Tennessee’s Lawson has been a leader since she was 8 when, emulating her role model, Mike Singletary of the Bears, she was the hardest-hitting middle linebacker her age in Alexandria, Va.
“I loved football,” Lawson says. “I loved it when I hit a guy so hard that he hurt, but he didn’t want to show it, because he’d been hit by a girl.”
Stanford’s Powell starred as a 6-2 point guard last year. She may move to power forward this season if Susan King fully recovers from a knee injury. If King isn’t fit, look for Powell to lead the Cardinal, as she did last year when it cracked the Sweet 16.
Graduation cost champion Connecticut four of the first six picks in the WNBA draft. This left Taurasi as the only returning regular.
Most preseason predictions dropped UConn below the top 12. Taurasi, however, will play with some of the nation’s best-regarded freshmen, including Ann Strother and Wilnett Crocket.
Also, when Auriemma was asked whether he thought Taurasi might have as strong an impact on the women’s game as Magic Johnson had on the men’s game, he replied:
“Yes, I do.”
Dunking will occur more frequently this season. But the teams that reach the Final Four in the Georgia Dome will probably be led there by guards.
Preseason Top 25
1. Duke
Superb guard Alana Beard leads five returning starters plus an excellent recruiting class.
2. Tennessee
Pat Summitt, from bench, and Kara Lawson, from the point, provide leadership.
3. Stanford
From the point or from power forward, 6-2 Nicole Powell can trigger a run to the Final Four.
4. Connecticut
Lone returning starter from ’02 champs is guard Diana Taurasi, the “Magic Johnson of women’s hoops.”
5. Georgia
6-6 sophomore Kara Braxton and associates make Bulldogs a force in powerful SEC.
6. Kansas State
6-4 junior Nicole Ohlde and three other starters return from successful ’02 team.
7. LSU
Top seven scorers from last spring’s SEC tournament finalist join extraordinary 6-1 freshman Seimone Augustus.
8. Notre Dame
Alicia Ratay from three-point range and Jacqueline Batteast on the block form outside-inside 1-2 punch.
9. Purdue
Versatile Shereka Wright, 6-5 Mary Jo Noon eye third straight Big Ten title.
10. Vanderbilt
Chantelle Anderson averaged 24.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in four NCAA tourney games in ’02.
11. Texas Tech
Prep All-American Erin Grant at the point joins proven stars Jia Perkins and Plenette Pierson.
12. Cincinnati
Guard Valerie King and 6-3 sophomore center Debbie Merrill make Bearcats tough.
13. Louisiana Tech
6-3 senior Cheryl Ford had 10 double-doubles last season.
14. Texas
Jody Conradt’s Longhorns may be a year away.
15. Minnesota
Big Ten player of year Lindsay Whalen still has two seasons left.
16. Penn State
Junior Kelly Mazzante defends her national scoring title (24.9 points).
17. North Carolina
Higher if Tar Heels find replacement for Nikki Teasley.
18. George Washington
Colonials led by 6-4 junior Ugo Oha.
19. Tulane
Teana McKiver plus Gwen Slaughter equals board control.
20. Boston College
Eagles can threaten in Big East if Becky Gottstein stays healthy.
21. UC-Santa Barbara
6-8 Lindsay Taylor and smaller Gauchos will score points.
22. Florida
Vanessa Hayden alone makes Gators a threat.
23. Mississippi State
Tough 1-2 punch: LaToya Thomas and Tan White.
24. Oregon
Ducks won NIT last season; ready for “Big Dance.”
25. Oklahoma
Caton Hill, other vets from ’02 runner-up know how to win.
Bill Jauss.
