Chemistry and Depth: UNC Has Energy Off the Bench

Thankfully the team has made their journey from Oregon to Hawaii safely.  They are staying at a beautiful resort; but are focused on preparing for the Wahine Showdown.  The University of Hawaii is the home team and UNC’s opponent on Sunday.  The Tar Heels will play three games in three days beginning on Friday with a game against the #6 Stanford Cardinal.  Senior Erika Johnson was kind enough to write us about how they are doing so far.  Her note was posted on www.goheels.com

Heels in Hawaii

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 While there is a break in the action I wanted to post another installment on what Coach has given us as North Carolina’s keys to success this season.  She mentioned Depth and Chemistry and this points to having a strong bench.  Not everyone can be a starter and every team needs players that can come off the bench and provide offense, keep up the defensive pressure, maintain the pace, preserve a starter who needs a break or has gotten a few fouls.  Sometimes the role is just to provide a different look to the opponent. 

 

We have several players who can and have come in to impact games during the current and previous seasons.  We’ll start in the backcourt.  I’ve already talked about Danielle Butts and Jamie Cherry.  This installment presents sophomore Jessica Washington, whom I affectionately call: “Woman with Wicked Crossover”. (Photo from www.goheels.com)

 

 

The North Carolina Women’s Basketball team is really fortunate to have a group of interchangeable guards.  With the four of them you have a mix of upperclassmen and young players; so you have the Chemistry between senior leadership and experience and the young players that give you the deep bench while they develop for the future.  She and Latifah Coleman are a neat upperclassman/lower classman combination for North Carolina. (photo from www.heraldsun.com)

 

UNC has signed two excellent guards in the 2015 class so next season Jessica will be one of those leaders.  And she’s is not without experience.  She was on more than one USA basketball team while in high school.  She was also a McDonald’s All-American.  She won the “Dribble, Pass, Shoot” competition that weekend. (photo from www.fullcourt.com)

 What I notice about Jessica other than a crossover than can shake defenders and break ankles is that she can play either guard spot when she is in the game.  She keeps her head up and moves around like a point guard; but she can get to the rim and shoot the 3 pointer like a scoring guard.  She’s scored in double figures in two of North Carolina’s game this season.  (photo from www.goheels.com)

From where I sit, she’s hungry to get better, wants to learn and is steadily improving.  She appears to be a real gym rat and uses her Carmichael privileges to her advantage.  She appears coachable and unafraid and that is a good combination.  She can also be found crashing the boards and diving on the floor for loose balls...doing the things to help North Carolina Women's Basketball succeed. (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

 

 

I hope she is enjoying college life because I'm really glad she is a Tar Heel.  I’m looking forward to seeing her develop over this season and the next two.  And of course seeing her shaking defenders out of their sneakers and swishing 3-pointers. (photo from www.goheels.com)