Basketball Preview: Quinn steps into leading role
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 14, 2006 9:00 p.m.
Last season Noelle Quinn, Nikki Blue and Lisa Willis made up the
“triple threat” on the women’s basketball team.
Together, the three Bruins brought UCLA to the top of the
Pac-10.
This year, only one of the triple threat remains. With Blue and
Willis continuing their basketball careers in the WNBA, Quinn, a
senior guard, finds herself in a new role as the leader of a young
team.
As one of three returning starters, Quinn recognizes that her
experience with the program enables her to teach the team’s
six freshmen how everything on the team works. Her main objective
is to help her teammates play up to their potential.
“I’ve been here for four years,” Quinn said.
“It’s my responsibility to the team to make sure the
younger players are learning the ropes.”
Without Blue and Willis around, Quinn will be playing a more
vocal role on the court. Although she has been guiding her
teammates so far, she is still adjusting to her new role.
“It’s a challenge for me because I’m not
usually very vocal,” Quinn said.
The team feeds off Quinn’s energy, said coach Kathy
Olivier.
While Quinn is doing a good job in her new role training her
teammates, she must remember to focus on her own game as well, she
said. Olivier said she does not want Quinn’s concern for
taking care of her teammates to detract from her scoring ability in
games.
With the team’s first road trip against fifth-ranked
Tennessee approaching, Quinn wants her teammates to use the
experience to get ready for December, when Pac-10 play begins.
“Tennessee is going to be a tough first road trip, but I
know that it’s going to prepare us,” she said.
Though Quinn says it may take several players and lots of time
to replace Blue and Willis, she acknowledges her teammates have
improved. She credits both returning players and the freshmen for
stepping up to fill in those shoes.
“The freshmen are being attentive, and everyone is a piece
of the puzzle and they understand that,” Quinn said.
FRESHMAN IMPACT: All six freshmen saw playing
time in the Bruins’ 87-62 victory over UC Santa Barbara on
Sunday.
Coming off the bench, freshman center Moniquee Alexander scored
eight points in 14 minutes of play. Freshman guard Amy Horton
contributed five points in 15 minutes.
In addition to the opening game against UCSB, Olivier allowed
the freshmen to see action in both of the team’s exhibition
games.
“We have more depth this year, and with that depth we have
a lot of freshmen. I think it’s a plus because they’re
young, so they’re running around and they’re eager and
they’re coachable,” Olivier said.
Olivier noted the freshmen will have their chance to get put
into games as long as they continue to work hard.
Whenever the freshmen enter the game, the Bruins’ more
experienced players make sure to help them out.
“They are a little inexperienced and are still learning
where to go and where they need to be,” senior guard Shaina
Zaidi said.
Quinn uses her own starting-freshman experience to help out her
teammates on the court.
“The biggest thing for the freshmen is to keep their
composure and maintain their confidence,” she said.
“When you’re a freshman, usually you have to come in
there and prove you’re here for a reason.”
