Squad revved up to take on All-Stars
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 8, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 MIKE CHIEN Freshman center Sissy Pickett
fights with a Slovakian player for the ball.
By Jackie Abellada
Daily Bruin Contributor
The women’s basketball team will host the Los Angeles
All-Stars this Sunday at Pauley Pavilion for its second exhibition
contest of the season.
The game comes on the heels of the 83-56 slaughter of Slovakia
Delta Kosice on Wednesday.
“We played more aggressively in offense and our defense
was more in sync (Wednesday),” junior guard Natalie Nakase
said. “We had a lot more confidence, and it gave us a good
look for the first game.”
But make no mistake, This Sunday’s matchup will be
different.
According to head coach Kathy Olivier, the Slovakians are used
to the European style of basketball where tactics such as
hand-checking is permitted.
In contrast, the L.A. All-Stars comprised of previous collegiate
athletes, including former UCLA guard LaCresha Flannigan, are used
to playing under the NCAA regulations and conditions.
“They have some older people who have played the game so I
think we are going to see more experience on the floor,”
Olivier said.
The squad hopes to bounce back from last year’s dismal
season, putting up only six wins while losing 23 times.
One of the biggest problems for last year’s Bruin team was
its inability to overpower its opponents in the rebounding
department, the margin being minus 6.6 per game, last in the
Pac-10.
 But, with the addition of newcomers Paula
“Sissy” Pickett, the tallest women’s basketball
player in UCLA history at 6 feet, 7 inches, and Krystle Johnson at
6 feet, 4 inches, the squad hopes to fix that.
The point will also add height, in the form of 5-foot-10-inch
Brianna Winn, an incoming freshman.
And with 12 members of last year’s squad returning, the
team brings with it experience, something they lacked last
year.
The Bruins have been practicing all through summer, hoping to
improve their conditioning and endurance ““ two things that
will be demanded from them during the season.
“I think what we did this summer, it made us tougher, and
we came together as a team,” junior forward Natalie Jarrett
said.
With one big “W” already in the bag, the team hopes
to put up another one in order to gain some momentum and confidence
before the season commences.
