Aug. 19, 2010
="" alt="Knight Head" border="0" class="imported"> Read John Denton's Knights Insider | ="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Follow us on Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Get social with the Knights on Facebook
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The entire UCF women's basketball team spent the Summer B session on campus, attending classes, working in the weight room and spending ample time on the court during individual workouts and pickup games. They might not have been aware of it, but the Knights were also working on another important task - building team chemistry.
The time on campus provided the team's four freshmen the opportunity to get to know their new teammates. The players not only spent time together playing basketball, but also had the chance to gel away from the UCF Practice Facility.
UCF head coach Joi Williams and her staff were not allowed to monitor the Knights on the court over the summer, but they did keep tabs on what else was going on in the program. Williams seems pleased with her squad's cohesiveness, which she says developed in June and July.
"Summer definitely helps with chemistry because they are staying together in the dorms," she said. "They are really getting a chance to not only get to know each other when they are on the court working out or playing pickup, but they get the chance to know each other off the court, which I think is just as important."
UCF's senior class, which consists of D'Nay Daniels, Angelica Mealing, Chelsie Wiley, Jelisa Caldwell and Leah Paige, worked hard over the summer to help the newcomers adjust to college life. When those players (except for Wiley) arrived in Orlando in 2007, the group was part of a large class of newcomers, and the squad was lacking veteran leadership. Williams is pleased that is no longer the case with the Knights.
"The feedback that I received from the older players was that the freshmen fit in very well. There seems to be great camaraderie already," Williams said. "I think that the older kids are taking a lot of responsibility in helping the freshmen out. They did not have that when they were young. They are really taking it personally to help out."