Tara VanDerveer met with the media for the first time this season on Tuesday. She talked about her team’s versatility, lofty goals and injuries as the first few practices are in the books.
On the injury front…
Junior guard Lindy LaRocque has a foot injury that could keep her out an extended period of time. LaRocque has been battling the injury for more than six months.
Senior point guard Melanie Murphy continues her recovery from microfracture surgery and is on track to begin practicing with the team in December.
Sophomore post Joslyn Tinkle has an ankle injury while senior guard Jeanette Pohlen has missed some practice time getting treatment. VanDerveer wasn’t specific about the nature of Pohlen’s injury.
Here’s a sampling of VanDerveer’s thoughts on matters of basketball:
On how team will be different:
“Our team is going to be a lot different without Jayne or Ros. But I hope we are better. The No. 1 thing is getting and staying healthy and establishing our rotation and how we are going to play people. With Sarah Boothe or Nneka, we can move them off the block, move them away. They have a little more versatilty. This team might be our most versatile team with a lot of size and people who can play a lot of different positions. This team is defined by Kayla’s versatility. I’m trying to figure out how to put these pieces together.”
On versatility:
“When I look at what Kayla can play, or even Nneka working on her 3-point shot or Sarah being able to knock down a 3, it reminds me of the international teams that I coached. Right now I’m really excited about the improvement of our sophomores – Joslyn and Michaela and how well the freshmen are doing. They are going to be great contributors to our team.”
On picking a position for Kayla Pedersen:
“She goes back and forth in practice. Sometimes she’s playing a two guard or a one guard. Jeanette was out a bit last week, she needed to get a little treatment. She’ll play a 5, she’ll play a 4. She’ll do whatever and she looks great. You could call her a point-forward.”
On the lineup:
“I’m not sure today that we won’t have a more fluid lineup in the beginning to see how plays well, but I know three of them that will be in there — Jeanette and Kayla and Nneka.”
On how much she reviewed the film of last year’s championship game:
“I’ve studied it. I was really proud of our team to be playing in the championship game. I don’t think either team played very well. I’m sure Geno watched and he didn’t feel their team played well. I really feel that our team missed an opportunity. It was hard because Jayne was not 100 percent…I don’t think anyone played a great game.”
How does that loss impact the team this year?:
“I think it makes them hungry, I really do. I will tell you that for me personally, I feel like I worked harder this August – that’s a vacation month – than I ever have. Whether it was watching video or really thinking about how to put the pieces of this puzzle together, planning for practice…We’ve already had five days of practice.”
What’s the dynamic like with Chiney and Nneka?:
“I was just thinking about this today, we were talking about it up in the office. I forget they are sisters. But Amy said that Nneka is always telling Chiney what to do. She’s saying ‘I want you to listen to me now’. Nneka is the older sister. Chiney is doing really well. She’s quick to catch on to things. In the beginning I said, ‘Let’s learn one position first,’ but she’s already learned two.”
Kayla talked about LSU after the championship game, as an example of a team that went to the Final Four multiple times and didn’t win. Does that weigh on the kids?
“In October and November, I don’t want them worrying about that. We met as a team, we talk about the fact that our team along with maybe other teams, whether it be Tennessee or Baylor, have a goal of wanting to win a national championship. That’s a great thing, but you can’t fixate on it every day. What I want them to fixate on is improving. I’m not disappointed…the Final Four…the more you go, the more chances you have to win it. I told Kayla, we have an opportunity to be really good, let’s just work on doing the little things we need to do to be really good.”
On being cautious with injuries:
“Anytime someone is not 100 percent for practice, I tell her to keep them out and get them better.”
Is there a line between motivated by the championship loss and not getting past it?
“It was hardest on Jayne, but for everyone else it’s motivating. I don’t see it working against us in any way. I think it’s great that Stanford is in the conversation for a national championship and that hasn’t always been the case. There was kind of our dry spell for a while and we’re excited that we’re back in the conversation. There used to be two teams and now we’ve made it at least a third team. And more, probably.”
How is Chiney different than Nneka?
“They are very different. Nneka is a 4-5. She is a post player. Chiney is more of a 4-3, she is more of a perimeter player. She likes facing up more. She’s not the jumper that Nneka is. She’s more of a face-up perimeter player and Nneka is more of a back to the basket post.”
On Chiney’s adjustment to college basketball:
“I could not ask her to do anything that she hasn’t done yet. This is a big adjustment and she is just taking it in stride. She’s not putting pressure on herself. She’s doing whatever we ask her to do in practice. She’s been great.”
Is Kayla done being an underrated player?
“I love it when we are under the radar. She is a great player. I can’t imagine that she’s not a top 3 draft pick in the WNBA. The way she’s playing right now, there are obviously things she could be doing better and maybe she was the third (person) out of the conversation because you had Nneka and Jayne, but this is as much Kayla’s team as last year it was Jayne’s team.”
On freshman guards Toni Kokenis and Sara James:
“Toni is a 1, very quick and fast with the ball. She is really going to help us and Sara James is a 2. Not to say that she can’t handle the ball, but she’s a 2.”
On the schedule:
“I think this is just the way it’s going to be and I like it. I don’t know what it will mean, but we are playing tough teams.”
On the Connecticut game on Dec. 30:
“It’s going to be a big game and we’re not going to talk at at timeout about how we wish this was the streak game.’ This place will have the atmosphere that I felt at the USC football game. We’re going to have some hungry people and fans and it’s going to be awesome.”
On Connecticut:
“I don’t think they are going to be as good without Tina Charles. But Maya Moore, she can go off for 50. She’s terrific.”
On Lindy LaRocque’s injury:
“Joslyn is a week or maybe two. Lindy could be a lot longer. But I really feel like, the train has left the station. We’re not waiting.”
