With Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley now in the WNBA, the Huskies are looking for a veteran leader to fill that void. Senior Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and junior Breanna Stewart make sense; both have been integral in the back-to-back national championship runs. But there's also Moriah Jefferson, who could excel in the role given that, as the starting point guard, she's already the team's floor general.
“I think she will be,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said, via the New Haven Register's Jim Fuller. “I think part of it is her natural personality and you add the position that she plays, she has the ball in her hands a lot. She gained a lot confidence last year and she is very comfortable with her teammates. When you are a freshman you are not quite sure, but she is very comfortable and she is really one of those people who you root for because you want her to do well. You want her to be successful, and you know that she adds a dimension that very few teams have.”
Jefferson really blossomed as a sophomore and is expecting a bigger role in 2014-15.
Last year I kind of knew that was coming, so I kind of experienced some of that last year," she said. "Playing so many minutes really prepared me for this year. We have two great seniors, and I am going to come in and do whatever I can to help my team.”
Jefferson will have five new players to welcome into the fold, all arrive on campus with plenty of accolades: The 2014 class includes Kia Nurse (5-11), Gabby Williams (5-11, Nevada), Sadie Edwards (5-9, New Jersey) and Courtney Ekmark (6-0, Arizona).
