Frese, Thomas and Rutan
In an exhibition against Catholic on Oct. 29, Katie Rutan scored the first unofficial basket of the Terrapins women’s basketball season when she wheeled to the corner of the perimeter, received a pass and hit a 3-pointer.
Rutan used that move often while at Xavier, where she was a sharpshooter off the bench. But since transferring to this university in 2011, she has become the team’s top defensive option at guard and a well-rounded offensive threat.
“I’m not just straight-up shooter,” Rutan said after the team’s practice Friday. “Not everyone always has to create for me all the time.”
Poised to contend for their first national championship since 2006, the No. 8 Terps have looked for similar development from the rest of their players. This season, which starts tomorrow against South Florida in Tampa, Fla., the team wants versatility throughout its roster for another deep postseason run.
With injuries depleting the Terps’ roster last season, forward Alyssa Thomas had to play multiple roles to accommodate for the losses. In response, she had a historic year, becoming the first player in NCAA or WNBA history to average more than 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game in a season.
The Terps have a healthy roster entering this season, however, and the team’s new depth can help lighten Thomas’ responsibilities. Rutan’s skill set bolsters the Terps’ offensive and defensive prowess in the backcourt, and coach Brenda Frese hopes the team’s newcomers and returning players can make similar contributions.
“Not only does she shoot the three, but she takes charges,” Frese said. “She defends the toughest matchup. She communicates. She’s a floor general. … She’s a living example every day. If you work hard, great things are going to happen, and you can be very successful.”
Guards Laurin Mincy and Brene Moseley returned from season-ending ACL injuries, while the team welcomed recruits Lexie Brown and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough to the backcourt this season. Guard Chloe Pavlech also returned for the Terps, giving the team a wealth of options at the position.
Unlike many times last season, Frese has a number of choices. Brown and Walker-Kimbrough — ESPN HoopGurlz’s No. 3 point guard and No. 6 wing, respectively, for the 2013 recruiting class — have the athleticism to thrive in the team’s high-pressure defense.
Both players are still getting mentally adjusted to the Terps’ pace of play. However, they’ve used the offseason to improve their decision-making when running the offense in transition.
“The seniors are really helping,” Walker-Kimbrough said. “Just improving everything if I make a mistake, just get it back the next play, so they’re really helping me out.”
The Terps’ depth in the backcourt means Thomas won’t run the team’s offense as often as last year. Instead, the Preseason ACC Player of the Year will help the team in the paint, matching up with post players and setting up on the inside more frequently.
But Thomas is still working on increasing her range to the three-point line, which will help create more mismatches when post players are guarding her.
“It’s definitely coming along,” Thomas said during the team’s media day on Oct. 8. “I can step out there and hit it every once in a while, so people definitely have to play me honest.”
Thomas’ progress with her three-point shooting can add to the outside threat the team already has in Rutan. As the Terps begin a home slate that includes Loyola on Sunday and a tough contest against No. 1 Connecticut on Nov. 15, they hope each player’s effort to become more versatile will pay off like it has for Rutan during her time with the Terps.
With the team’s rejuvenated roster entering the season, its depth and versatility are its two biggest strengths.
“We never really had that opportunity last year,” center Alicia DeVaughn said. “But now this year, being that we have such a big roster, we’re able to rotate players inside and out and just mix and match on the court with each other.”
