Sophomore guard Salese Blow said she spent countless hours in the gym over the offseason.
“I know I have to level up from the way I’ve played my freshman year,” Blow said.
Head women’s basketball coach Terry Nooner said she has stepped into a greater leadership role, too, despite being an underclassman.
“She’s talking and stepping up, being a vocal leader a lot more,” Nooner said. “And then I would say defensively, she’s doing a lot more.”
As a true freshman last year, Blow ranked second on the team in points and minutes, averaging 12.3 points and 29.5 minutes per game. With the departure of last year’s top scorer, Daniela Abies, Blow said she expects other teams to try and limit her offensive capabilities. But she’s not worried about that “in the most humble way possible.”
“That’s what all the work that I put in comes down to,” she said.
Blow said she won’t allow teams to speed her game up and get her out of rhythm.
“I’m not allowing them to make me take terrible shots,” she said. “And confiding in my teammates, giving them the ball when I’m not hot or whatever, when people are closing in.”
During offseason workouts, Blow said she worked on getting into shape and shooting the 3-ball. She shot 30% from 3-point range last season.
“I wasn’t very good last year, so I need to pick that up,” Blow said. “So I’ve been in the gym working on that and my defense.”
For Nooner, he wants improvements outside of shooting.
“We talked to her about trying to be a bit more efficient,” Nooner said. “I think her defense can help her do that. I feel like she can score … as many, or more points than she did last year but be more efficient.”
Blow said at the end of the season, she wants to lift the American Athletic Conference championship trophy and help her team make it to “the big dance.”
“Ultimately, I want to help the team overall,” she said.
