UConn women's basketball

Tiffany Hayes walked into the postgame interview room today wearing a UConn warm-up suit, a backpack and holding a blue baseball cap. She took her position in the far corner and began to answer questions.

Hayes finished with a game-high 33 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in a season-high 39 minutes in a hard-fought 77-62 win over a determined South Florida team at the XL Center. For the second game in four days, she was the best player on the floor as she continued the best stretch of her career.

Never did we expect to see Hayes break down in tears during the Q&A. Never. But that’s exactly what happened as Hayes opened up about what has been motivating her over the past couple of weeks.

“One of my friends that passed used to say, `Play every play like it’s the last play you’ll ever play,’’’ Hayes said. “His birthday is today. So I think I’ve been living by that the last couple weeks. And that’s definitely been a lot of motivation.’’

The friend Hayes is referring to is former UConn defensive back Jasper Howard, who was stabbed to death on campus Oct. 18, 2009 at the age of 20. He would have turned 23 today.

The hat Hayes was holding had Howard’s No. 6 on it. She broke into tears when she was asked if was more emotional for her to play a game on his birthday.

Rich

Freshman Kiah Stokes came to UConn with the potential to make an immediate impact. She earned All-American honors as Linn-Mar High in Iowa. And with 6-foot-5 sophomore Stefanie Dolson as the lone legitimate post player in the primary rotation for the third-ranked Huskies, an opportunity for Stokes to earn ample playing time presented itself.

Stokes, a 6-foot-3 center, initially did not take advantage of her opportunity. She never before had been required to play to her to full capabilities each time she stepped on the floor. And this was something Stokes struggled with for some time.

Her effort at practice paled in comparison to that of her teammates. It would become a point of frustration for the UConn coaching staff and players. So much so that Coach Geno Auriemma twice benched her and Stokes learned that the Huskies had reached a point where they were not fond of playing with her if she was not going to compete to the fullest.

“Your teammates, you’re with them all the time,’’ Stokes said. “You think off the court everything’s fine and then (UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey) tells you something like that … It kind of hits home like, `Oh, my teammates, they don’t like playing with me if I don’t play how I should.’ Once I heard that it was kind of like another wake-up call. It just kind of hit me like, `This is serious. I need to get going.’’’

This had nothing to do with the Huskies, who will host South Florida Saturday at the XL Center (1; CPTV), shutting Stokes out. Off the court everything was fine. But when it comes to positioning themselves to win a national championship, every player being on the same page on the court is vital.

Auriemma benched Stokes against Fairfield Dec. 29 and at Villanova Jan. 14. It was following the Villanova game that it became crystal clear to Stokes that she needed to change.

“It was frustrating,’’ UConn junior Kelly Faris said. “You look at somebody and you’re around them every day, and you know what they can do. And when you see them not be able to get that, you want to push them. You want to do this. You want to do that. And you really want them to get there. And that’s what this program is about is getting to that point and pushing past it.’’

To Stokes’ credit, she has changed. Stokes is averaging 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 17.3 minutes over the last four games. It is her best four-game stretch of the season.

“She’s definitely done a 360, and good for her,’’ Faris said. “Good for her that she’s realizing it and she’s changing and working on the things that she needs to work on. So she’s definitely changed, and she’s gotten a lot better.’’

Just two days after being benched at Villanova, Stokes responded with her first career double-double –
11 points, 11 rebounds – in 12 minutes against then-No 24 North Carolina. She finished with eight points, seven rebounds, one steal and three blocks in a season-high 24 minutes at Syracuse Wednesday.

Stokes has had at least six rebounds in three of the last four games. She has also played a combined 43 minutes the last two games, her highest two-game total of the season.

“For every two steps forward she gives you a little bit of hope,’’ Auriemma said. “And then there’s things that, obviously, she’s still a freshman. But I don’t hesitate as much more to throw her in the game as I did earlier. And her practice habits have changed a lot. I said going forward that her development was going to have a big impact on how good our team was going to be down the road. And she’s getting better.’’

Not only has Stokes refined her practice habits, but she is putting in extra work with Dailey and assistant coach Marisa Moseley. The workouts feature shooting drills and 1-on-1 exercises in the lowpost.
Stokes said that she will also work with an available practice player at times, allowing them to attempt to block her shot so that she has to be stronger with the ball and more physical in the lane.

“Every day I’m working harder and getting extra workouts in,’’ Stokes said. “Each day is progress. But it’s getting better. I’m getting more minutes and I think my teammates trust me a little bit more, which is what I keep hoping and hoping is they build more trust in me.’’

For Stokes, it is all about working harder at this point. She seems to have finally grasped what it takes to have success at this level, and at UConn in particular. And her teammates have taken notice.

“It was really hard for us to see somebody like Kiah that we know is good, that we know can be a great player and a great asset to our team not playing up to her ability and not playing up to everybody else’s level,’’ UConn freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis said. “She’s doing a lot better and she’s being a lot more help to our team. She’s getting aggressive and she’s scoring for us. She’s rebounding. And I think that she feels better about her performance, which makes us feel more confident in her.’’

Rich

Junior guard Caroline Doty has been fully cleared and will start Saturday against South Florida at the XL Center (1 p.m. CPTV). She did not play Wednesday at Syracuse after suffering a bone bruise in her left knee at DePaul Jan. 21.

“I feel good,’’ Doty said. “The few days (off) definitely helped out. I’m a little winded, but that can come back. But I feel comfortable. It feels great now.’’

“I kind of kept questioning it. What made it a bone bruise? There’s so many different types of reasons that it could happen or just like the ACL is like a freak accident. So it was kind of like, `Uh, again.’ But it’s great to see that I’m only out a few days and not a few months or the rest of the year. I feel good.

Doty practiced fully today at Gampel Pavilion. UConn coach Geno Auriemma was pleased with what he saw from her during the session.

“She looked good today,’’ Auriemma said. “I think taking a couple days off was probably the best thing for her. And she did everything we did (today) so there was no restrictions on her whatsoever. Something’s going to hurt everyday until she stops playing, and then probably after that something’s going to hurt. It’s just a matter of being able to tolerate it and at what point do you say `it’s enough.’ But she’s nowhere near that. She’s found her new normal and we’re happy to have her back.’’

Both Doty and Auriemma said that there will be no limitations placed on Doty against South Florida.

“The plan from the beginning of the season was `let’s just play her and let’s go,’’’ Auriemma said. “So tomorrow’s not going to be any different. We’ll play her and if she says to me, `Hey, I need a breather.’
I’ll give her a breather. If she doesn’t say anything then we’re good to go. That’s kind of how we’ve treated it the whole year.’’

Here is what Doty said regarding what her knee felt like last Saturday when she was injured:

“It was kind of like a sting,” Doty said. “Nothing tweaked. Nothing turned. Nothing anything scary. I wasn’t concerned about the ACL. It was more concerned that it was the outside of my knee. It felt a little weird, but I wanted to get it checked out and make sure it was nothing serious. Doc T (Tom Trojian) was able to look at it and (team athletic trainer) Rosemary (Ragle) was able to look at it right at the game and they figured it was a bone bruise. They just wanted to get some testing just to make sure nothing else was wrong. Everything else looks great. So the fact that it was a bone bruise was a sigh of relief.’’

Here is Auriemma’s response when he learned that future Husky Breanna Stewart had been named the 2011 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year:

 “She deserves it,” Auriemma said. “The only USA team she didn’t play on was the men’s team that won the World Championship.’’

Sophomore Bria Hartley and freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis have been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Watch List.

Rich

UConn-bound recruit Breanna Stewart has been named the 2011 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, it was announced today. She was a member of the gold-medal winning 2011 USA U-19 World Championship Team that competed in Puerto Montt, Chile July 21-31 and the 2011 USA Pan American Games Team that competed in Guadalajara, Mexico Oct. 21-25.

Stewart was also named to the five-member All-FIBA U-19 World Championship Team.

“It is exciting because this is a pretty big award,’’ Stewart said. “I’m just honored to be thought of as USA Basketball’s Female Athlete of the Year.’’

Stewart, who was the second youngest member of the U-19 team, led the team in scoring (11.2), rebounding (7.3) and blocks (1.7) in 19.9 minutes. She also led the Pan American Games Team in scoring (15.3), rebounding (11.3), blocked shots (1.8) and minutes (27.8).

Stewart was the only high school player on the Pan American Games Team.

“Breanna Stewart ranks up with Maya Moore as one of the most competitive young players that I’ve ever seen,’’ U-19/Hartford head coach and the 2011 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year Jennifer Rizzotti said. “She has the ability to tremendously impact the game on both ends of the floor. She works constantly to improve all aspects of her game, and I look forward to watching her growth as she develops into an even more complete player. Her desire to win and compete on every possession raised the level of intensity for our team and was crucial to our winning the gold medal.”

USA Basketball will now nominate Stewart for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2011 SportsWoman of the Year, which will be announced at some point this year. The USA Basketball Board of Directors is responsible for selecting USA Basketball’s annual award winners.

“In her third consecutive summer playing for USA Basketball, Breanna was an important part of two USA teams,’’ USA Basketball Executive Director/CEO Jim Tooley said. “Anyone who has seen her play knows what an incredible athlete she is, and how much fun it is to watch her play. She has shown dedication and commitment, and we are very proud to recognize her efforts.’’

Rich

UConn coach Geno Auriemma wanted no part of accepting full credit for the impressive stretch that Tiffany Hayes currently finds herself extending by the game. Auriemma did not really take any credit at all, actually.

Yet, it was a conversation that Auriemma and Hayes shared several weeks ago that has since turned Hayes’ season around. It is arguably the best stretch of her career, one that saw her rip Syracuse for a career-high 35 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field (6-of-8 3-pointers) Wednesday. She also collected seven rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes.

Hayes has scored in double figures in a career-high nine straight games and has matched her career-high by generating at least five rebounds in five straight games.

Here’s what Auriemma remembers from the conversation between two …

“I think when you’re going through a season as a coach you’re always trying to find the pulse of individuals and the pulse of your team,’’ Auriemma said. “And I sensed that there was a little bit of frustration on her part. She was almost resigning herself sometimes to, `This is what it is. This is who I am. This is what I’ve been.’ And almost a settling. And I really did talk to her about, `Is this what we can expect the rest of the year because if it is just tell me, and we’ll go from there. If you’re just going to settle with where it is right now and you’re happy with that, fine.’ And the challenge was, `Are you able to change? Are you able to start making changes little by little and become something that you probably thought you always wanted to be?’ And little by little, here we are. I don’t know that my words were the difference. I think her mindset, her attitude and her approach are the key to this. Not anything in particular that I said.’’

Hayes is averaging 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 27.4 minutes over the last nine games. She is also shooting an astounding 63.6 percent (56-of-88) from the field during this stretch and 51.7 percent from 3-point range (15-of-29).

“I feel a little different,’’ Hayes said. “I honestly just… I had a talk with Coach and he said things are going to have to change with me, and I knew that personally. So I think it starts with practice and how my practices have been going and those translate into the games where I am doing well.’’

Syracuse was powerless to stop Hayes anywhere on the floor Wednesday. If she wanted to get to the rim, she got there. If she wanted an open look at a 3, she got it. She looked like an All-American.

And Hayes’ success came despite a subpar shooting performance at shootaround earlier in the day. The way she turned it around in the game and remained positive was impressive for Auriemma to see.

“She didn’t make a lot of shots at shootaround,’’ Auriemma said. “But unlike other times she didn’t just walk away from it and say, `Screw it.’ She got involved. Our shootarounds are not just come out here and throw up ball at the rim. So she got involved and she did other things and she was part of `this is what we’re going to do defensively. This is what we’re going to do offensively.’ And she was able to I think kind of capitalize on that. Sometimes you come to shootaround and you make everything and you come to the game and you don’t make anything. So I’m happy for her. There’s been a big difference in her. I’ve seen a change in her the last couple of weeks. And not just on the court either. I think everywhere. She has a pretty clear vision right now of what she wants to do and how she wants to do it. And I’m thrilled for her.’’

Hayes leads the Huskies in scoring (15.7). She is tied with Stefanie Dolson for the team-lead in rebounds (5.7) and is averaging 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals in 28.5 minutes.

Right now Hayes is playing like a senior should be playing at this stage of their career. She is being accountable. She is being consistent. She is being a leader. She is helping her team win games.

“Well, some seniors can do it and some can’t,’’ Auriemma said. “There’s this perception out there that once you become a senior you become a great player, and that’s not true all the time. I think seniors react a lot differently depending on their personality types and who they are. Some seniors are scared. They’re afraid their career’s coming to an end. It’s over and they let that consume them. And some seniors thrive on the fact this is my last go-around and I’m going to make it great. I don’t know that Tiffany’s had either one of those two things yet, but I do know she’s acting the part right now. And that’s what you want. I don’t need her to get 35 every night. I don’t think our team needs her to get 35 every night. But we do need her to play with that kind of mindset, and it’s all about mindset. That’s everything when you get to this point in the season.’’

Said freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis: “She’s a leader on this team. She’s a senior. She’s been here for four years and we expect nothing less from her. We expected her to be one of the main people that we go to every single time we come down the court.’’

Neither Mosqueda-Lewis nor Auriemma saw much difference in Mosqueda-Lewis’ role as a starter rather than as the sixth-man against the Orange.

There certainly was not much difference in the level of her production. Mosqueda-Lewis finished with 19 points, a game-high eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes.

“Just a little different not being able to be on the bench and see the mistakes we’re making and then go out there and make a change,’’ Mosqueda-Lewis said. “You kind of just have to go on the fly.’’

Said Auriemma: “Actually (Tuesday) at practice and at shootaround (Wednesday) she looked really focused. She really looked locked in like, `I got it.’’’

Rich

CPTV will broadcast The Geno Auriemma Show: Special Edition, an on-location interview session taped before a live audience, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. The show will air prior to UConn’s game against No. 20 Georgetown at Gampel Pavilion at 4 p.m.

The program, which will be hosted by CPTV color analyst Meghan Culmo, is taped at the Rocky Hill Marriott. Auriemma will be joined on stage by selected surprise guests. In the past, they have included UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey, assistant coaches Shea Ralph and Marisa Moseley and players such as Maya Moore and Tiffany Hayes.

An encore presentation will also air Feb. 18 at 3 p.m.

Rich

UConn-bound recruit Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 star post player from North Syracuse, N.Y., was again in attendance Wednesday at the Carrier Dome to watch most of her future teammates take apart the Orange.

 It was only natural following the game that a member of the local media asked UConn coach Geno Auriemma about the top player in the Class of 2012. It was only natural that Auriemma again spoke glowingly about Stewart.

 “It’s the things that I think coaches really value in players, and especially big kids,’’ Auriemma said. “Our coaches, we like to ask, `If this kid was 5-10 instead of 6-4, would she be a really good basketball player? Would she be one of the Top 10 basketball players in the country?’ And a lot of times, the answer’s `no.’ The reason the kid’s a good player is because they’re 6-4. Breanna … If she was 5-10, she’d still be one of the best players in America. And the fact that she’s so competitive and is skilled and has a really good understanding of not only the game but her effect on the game.

“It’s tough being a freshman at UConn, and she’ll find that out. It’s very difficult because the expectation level is going to be really, really high. And there’s going to be times when she can’t meet those expectations. But if you were to draw up something and say, `OK, what does a kid need to come to UConn as a post player or a wing or anything?’ She can play any position she wants. `What does that person need?’ And she’s got all those qualities, and she’s an even better person than she is a basketball player. You don’t find that too often. But we’re lucky at UConn. We happen to find those kids that are like that.’’

 As Stewart sits in the stands and watches the Huskies she finds herself part fan and part future member of the team.

 “I’m both. Of course, I’m cheering for them and I’m really excited about being out there with them next year,’’ Stewart said. “Just watching them makes me excited to get there. But there are times you watch and you see yourself out on the court. I’ve played with some of them in USA Basketball and I know them from visiting campus a couple of times. It feels great to see them do well.’’

 Senior Tiffany Hayes now sits in 14^th place all-time in team history in scoring with 1,556 points. She said recently that her points are of the “silent’’ variety.

 “Hopefully, I can continue to stay under the radar and those silent points,’’ Hayes said. “It didn’t feel like 35 (Wednesday). So those were silent points to me as well. I didn’t realize it until Coach said it in the locker room. So I’m like, `Wow.’ It was a surprise to me.’’

 Auriemma, however, does not think there is anything silent about Hayes’s offensive game right now or the fact that she is rising up UConn’s scoring chart.

 “The fact that she’s played in so many games (136), kids that play at UConn today have such an advantage,’’ Auriemma said. “They’re playing 40 games per year, and sometimes back then those guys were not playing that many. And she’s had the advantage I think of playing with great, great players. She kind of reminds me of Nykesha (Sales). Nykesha played with Jen (Rizzotti). She played with Jamelle (Elliott) and Kara (Wolters) and Rebecca (Lobo), Shea (Ralph). When you have a lot of really good players around you sometimes people don’t notice how many points you’re scoring or how many assists you have or rebounds you have or how many steals you have. Because you’re the other guy, you’re the other guy, you’re the other guy. And I think now they mean more – her points, her rebounds, her assists – and they’re not silent any more. Now her game is on loud speaker, and that’s where it should be at this point.’’

 Rich

As expected Caroline Doty did not play in tonight’s 95-54 rout of Syracuse due to a bone bruise in her problematic left knee. As expected, Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma said that the plan remains for her to return to practice Friday.

Doty is listed as probable for Saturday’s game against South Florida at the XL Center.

“Right now that’s the plan that she’s (going to practice Friday),’’ Auriemma said. “We have a day off tomorrow and that Friday she’s going to get a workout in. Hopefully, the entire practice and we’re planning in playing her on Saturday.’’

Here are Auriemma’s thoughts on UConn’s new Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms that will be worn against Notre Dame Feb. 27.

 “I haven’t seen them in person live,’’ Auriemma said. “I’ve just seen drawing and renderings of them. But from what I understand, from what people are saying, they’re unbelievable. I even got some messages from other coaches in the country and players, and anybody that’s seen them and said it’s unbelievable. They’ve never seen anything like it. I think anything that can cause a little bit of a ruckus. People are like, `Wow,’ good and bad. I think Nike’s always been at the forefront of that. They’ve always been really, really good at pushing the envelope a little bit and getting people to think differently about things. I think with this Platinum Elite, they’ve hit it right on the head. People are certainly thinking differently. I’m thrilled to be … us and Baylor I think are the only two teams on the women’s side that are doing this. And I think we’re the only school in America that has both their men’s and women’s teams doing this. So, yeah. Like my mother would say, ‘I lika da swoosh.’’’

Rich