The Cal Women’s Basketball Team rebounded from their underwhelming exhibition loss to UCLA earlier this month, pushing #3 USC to the brink in a tight game this past Sunday. This coming Monday, Cal will open the season hosting the Washington State Cougars.
It’s still weird to me to write about UCLA, USC and Washington State and not have them be conference games. At least in spirit, the PAC-12 is alive and well within Haas Pavilion.
Coach Charmin Smith and Guard Lulu Twidale answered questions from the media Tuesday after practice. Questions ranged from lessons learned from the exhibition games, to preparation for the season, through to Twidale’s legacy at Cal. Some snippets of interest are below.
Lulu Twidale, on growth opportunities for this year;
“Each year, I’m wanting to evolve in the offseason. The focus was really getting to the rim and developing that mid-range game. I think my three is there, and I’m wanting to keep that consistent and have a high percentage this year from the three-point line, but also just being a really a big threat, like from all three levels on the floor. And then, also defensively, making sure I can contiue to attack the ball and just be really aggressive on that end.”
Here’s a clip from last week’s exhibition game against USC of Twidale attacking all-world guard Jazzy Davidson and getting deep into the lane for the short jumper.
Twidale, on her legacy of being a 4-year player and star at Cal;
“Knowing that I have had a really positive impact on the team and the culture and the teammates around me is what is really important to me. Being a four-year player, a very loyal person, and I’m glad that I stuck with what Charmin is trying to achieve here. And yeah, I’m just excited that I get to finish out this year with her.”
Twidale, on how this year will be different from being on wrong side of the NCAA bubble last year;
“We have the same principles. We have the same goals, but I think this year we have a lot more depth, which is really exciting. So just being able to have that depth and have people that can come off the bench and have that spark like Shannon and Naya. they’re both really big sparks for us...and then also just our pace. I think we’re really fast team. We want to play in transition. We want to get out and run. And then also just to add on the defensive end. We want to be really aggressive. We want to be known as the tougher team, so I think they’re just all little things that we are trying to be better than we were last year.”
Lulu Twidale has also been added to the Naismith Player Of the Year Watchlist, as well as the Ann Drysdale Meyers Watchlist for the best shooting guard in the nation.
Coach Charmin Smith, on maintaining the core returning group from last year;
“Yeah, we’re so far ahead of where we were last year in terms of what we have in and what we can do, how comfortable we are with our scouts. And you know, our actions, how we’re guarding things.It took a lot of time last year, because if there were so many new pieces. And now, I’m like, [Lulu, Gisella, Taylor], we’re doing it like this. We’re like, yeah, okay, let’s go. So, I think we’re further along, and we can challenge them in different places.”
Coach Smith, on Freshman Guard Ruby Perkins;
“Yeah, we hope to have Miracle back soon, and I love how Ruby is helping our team right now, and this is going to bode well for us in February when we’ve got this freshman point guard, who kind of had this baptism by fire moment, playing minutes that she wouldn’t have played, with Mjracle being out. I think she’s so feisty and tough. I mean, I saw her walling up against Juju and she doesn’t back down from anyone, and we need that competitiveness.”
When pressed on Mjracle Sheppard’s status, Coach Smith was consistent in her answer; “Soon.”
Coash Smith, on closing out games that slipped away last year;
“We have to be better defensively, that hurt us last year in ACC play. You’re up 10 against Duke, and you can’t get the stops when you need to in the fourth quarter. So, defense has been a key Focus for us, and I think we saw some improvements against USC. Toughness. Defense. We know that we can score, we know that we can shoot the ball.”
Coach Smith, on what she would say to recruit fans to come out and support the team;
“Women’s basketball is great right now. It’s such as spectacular sport. I mean, we’re seeing that at the Valkyries. And this is the team that’s going to play hard, right? This is a team that plays Up Tempo. You saw us run against USC, like we pushed the ball we play with pace. It’s an exciting style of basketball, and these young women deserve it. They deserve the support, and I’m really excited to be coaching them.”
Both the Men and Women’s Basketball team start their regular season this coming Monday. The men will open up the doubleheader at Haas Pavilion at 5pm, facing the Division II Adams State Grizzlies. The women will tip off at 7pm against the Washington State Cougars.
We need a Thanksgiving Mjracle!
(Actually it will be great to get Ruba and Zara some early run before we get to ACC play)