As Hall of Fame basketball coach Al McGuire said, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." The same can be said for Virginia sophomore guard Monica Wright, who has followed up her dazzling freshman campaign with an even better encore performance.
The Cavaliers (15-5, 4-1 ACC) have won nine of their last 10 and look poised to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2004-05 season. A large part of the team's success this year has come thanks to Wright, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year who leads the team, scoring 17.5 points per game.
Wright's statistical improvements from her first year to her second year are obvious. She averages more than 2 additional points per game, and her 3-point shooting percentage is up 13.5 percent from a year ago.
More importantly, Wright has become more assertive, especially in big games. Earlier this season, she led the team with 23 points in Virginia's upset of Texas, and in Virginia's biggest game to date against No. 4 Maryland, Wright registered a game-high 22 points despite being in foul trouble for the majority of the second half.
"Monica played with such presence," coach Debbie Ryan said. "She answered every call, and she was not going to give in. It was difficult for her to be sitting there while we were trying to finish the game."
The major improvement for the Woodbridge, Va. native, however, has not come in the scoring column, but rather in her role within the team. Oddly enough, it was her experience this summer playing overseas with the U.S. under-19 national team that has enabled Wright to mature and embrace her new role with Virginia.
Before the current season began, Ryan expected Wright to step into more of a leadership role, while in Wright's freshman season, Ryan said she wanted Wright to "just play." With the accolades and a year under her belt, however, came increased responsibility.
"I feel like I have become a more vocal leader," Wright said. "I catch myself getting a little more into it than I did last year because last year was more of trying to figure out who I am and what my role is here."
In helping to lead the national team to a gold medal in Slovakia, Wright garnered new experiences that have allowed her to look more like a senior than a sophomore.
"It has helped me with leadership a lot," Wright said. "I know last year I did not have a big role with leadership, but playing with the USA team, I was one of the older kids. So it helped me mature a lot and helped me be somebody that players look forward to and look up to for guidance."
It seems as if there is no ceiling for Virginia's budding superstar, and though her play may suggest otherwise, she still is only a sophomore.
"Monica's a player that's just going to continue to get better," Ryan said. "She's really grown in so many parts of her game."
Wright and the Cavaliers return to action Friday when they play host to N.C. State at John Paul Jones Arena.
Read More
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | 23 hours agoJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | YesterdayThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
Men’s soccer, totally discombobulated, capitulates early to No. 5 Pittsburgh
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayPittsburgh set a program record for the quickest cluster of three goals.
