She leads

She leads

the youth

movement

By Hye Kwon

Some people might think that the youth movement will begin for
UCLA women’s basketball team when the three highly regarded
freshmen (Takiyah Jackson, Mari Burningham and Erica Gomez) take
the floor next year. But the fact of the matter is, the movement
has already begun with young players like freshman Tawana Grimes
playing well for the Bruins.

Having started eight out of 15 games this season, Grimes has
pleasantly surprised head coach Kathy Olivier. Grimes has firmly
established herself in the starting lineup in recent games with
good performances against the conference opponents, and is now
second on the team, behind Ricarda Kuypers, in assists with 2.9
assists per game.

"I consider her one of the leaders on the floor," Olivier said.
"And to say that about a freshman is really something."

According to Grimes, her way of being a leader is not through
words but through action.

"When I play I hope that my teammates see that I play hard all
the time," Grimes said. "Then they can see that and play hard as
well."

When Grimes first came to UCLA, she was unsure of what role she
would have to play on the team. But she quickly learned that she
would have to be a major contributor on the team that lost four of
five starters from last season’s squad.

"When I got here at first , I didn’t expect to start," Grimes
said. "But once we started practice, I thought to myself that I can
start."

One of Grimes’ assets which makes her an ideal candidate for the
starting job at the off-guard position is her tenacity on the
defensive end of the floor. She has accumulated 29 steals ­
second best on the team. And, in the last six games, Grimes has
demonstrated that she has the ability to score as well, averaging
8.5 points.

"Grimes started for us against Oregon State and she played like
an upperclassman," Olivier said. "She displayed unbelievable
leadership."

The Bruins beat the Beavers 84-73 in what can be considered one
of the biggest upsets of the Pac-10 this season. In the victory
against Arizona State last Thursday, Grimes scored 12 points on six
of seven shooting from the floor and also had a team-high four
steals.

* * *

A big factor for Grimes in choosing UCLA over other schools was
UCLA’s location in relation to her hometown of Norwalk. Grimes
wanted to stay close to her parents and her siblings, including a
1-year-old brother.

Named an honorable mention All-American by Street and Smith’s as
a senior in high school, Grimes received a lot of attention from
recruiters from schools across the western United States.
University of Oregon and Long Beach State both expressed interest,
and Grimes was deeply considering them until the late signing
period.

UCLA has lost five out of the seven games in January, and with
games coming up against highly-ranked Stanford and California in
the Bay Area, the Bruins will have to play their hearts out to
contend in the conference. But Grimes remains hopeful of her team’s
chances.

"If we play the way I think we can play, I don’t think we’ll
contend for the championship, but we’ll at least be up there,"
Grimes said. "We were picked to come in ninth, but I don’t think
we’re a ninth-place team."

As for the prospect of next season’s team, Grimes is quick to
express her excitement.

"I’m excited and if the recruits are as good as people say they
are, then we’ll have a better chance of having a winning season,"
Grimes said. "I’m not uncomfortable that three freshman are coming
in, I’m just happy."