University Southern California Trojans
Women's Basketball Prepares for Opening of Practice
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
October 14, 1998
LOS ANGELES - The women's basketball team, under head coach Chris Gobrecht, opens practice on Saturday (Oct. 17). USC finished 12-15 overall and 7-11 in the Pacific-10 Conference in 1997-98.
The team returns eight letterwinners, including four starters. The Women of Troy will look to senior guard Kristin Clark and senior center Adrain Williams to lead the team. Clark earned All-Pac-10 first team honors in 1997-98 and was USC's leading scorer. Williams earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors and was the team's leading rebounder and was second in scoring.
OUTLOOK - In her first season directing the women's basketball team at her alma mater in 1998, USC Coach Chris Gobrecht was forced to try to do more with less.
She inherited a team that lost a huge senior class, was depleted by injuries and beset by inexperience and lack of depth. A year later, in her second term with the Women of Troy, Gobrecht is looking to do more with . . . more.
A youthful roster in 1998 is now a grizzled unit heading into 1999 and the Women of Troy return all but one player. Gobrecht is also welcoming a four-player recruiting class that adds size, speed, strength and depth, not to mention the return of talented guard Erica Mashia, out for the past two years with a hip injury.
Led by senior guard Kristin Clark and senior center Adrain Williams, both All-Pac-10 performers a year ago, Gobrecht now has a team that can truly employ her brand of aggressive, defense-oriented basketball for 40 minutes.
Said Gobrecht: "One thing we're trying to do this year is not be physically overmatched. It was rare for us last year not to be in a game, but because of injuries, lack of depth and inexperience, we didn't have enough for the tight games. Now we can take a more aggressive stance. We have kids who not only know what to do but are also bigger and stronger.
"I'm looking for Adrain and Kristin to be not only leaders but primary looks on offense. They're going to have to be up to the task. Last year, it was new for them to be carrying the load and they handled it well. This year, we need them to be key components on this team, but we won't have to rely on them as much.
"We want to use both more effectively this year. Last season, we needed both of them to do more than I would normally have asked, and it inhibited their games. They will have more focused roles this year, but will still be mainstays of what we want to do.
The Women of Troy finished 12-15 overall in 1998, 7-11 in the Pacific-10 Conference, alone in sixth place. USC finished under .500 for only the sixth time in the program's history and missed the NCAA Tournament for only the fourth time since its inception in 1983. In her first year, Gobrecht had to work with a team that had only eight players play more than 14 games and had to employ 10 different starting lineups. Reserve guard Shannon Kartz, who averaged just 10.0 minutes per game, is the only player not returning from last year's squad.
Heading into the 1999 season, Gobrecht is excited merely to have a full roster, let alone one so much more experienced and versatile. That said, Clark and Williams will undoubtedly be focal points for the Women of Troy.
Clark, 5-7, was USC's only player to start all 27 games last year, earning All-Pac-10 first team honors. She finished the season as USC's leading scorer (16.0) and also led USC in steals (77), three-pointers (51) and assists (99). Her 51 three-pointers in 1998 were good for the second-highest season total ever at USC and her 169 three-point attempts were a season record. Clark's 961 minutes played and her 2.9 steals average were both among USC's Top 10 all-time for a season. With Mashia's return, Clark will likely revert to her role as a shooting guard.
Williams, 6-4, started 20 of 27 games in 1998, averaging 13.0 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game and earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors. Williams, whose 25 blocks led the team and whose 46 steals were second on the team, missed all of the preseason recovering from summer foot surgery, didn't start the first five games and wasn't fully recovered until midway through the season. She hit her stride at the halfway point, averaging 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in USC's final 13 games.
Said Gobrecht: "Because of circumstances, Kristin was forced to play the point and it was something that was new for her. Defenses really tried to clamp down on her last year and she had to scratch and claw for everything she got. I hope to use Kristin more at the shooting guard, where she is more comfortable. I'm expecting big results out of Kristin this year. "Adrain is a truly gifted player with great size, but she's had to develop a game. We're going to try to give a signature to her game this year so you can identify that Adrain Williams is a unique player who can do a lot of good things."
USC's entire frontcourt returns for the 1999 season and is bolstered by a pair of newcomers. Joining Williams back in the paint will be 6-2 junior forward Tiffany Washington, 6-0 sophomore forwards Tashara Carter and Whitney Houser and 6-1 senior forward Adria Sneed. New to the post corps will be 6-1 freshman forward Carmen Krause and 6-1 junior forward Aimee Copp.
The most experienced of the group next to Williams is Washington, who started 24 games last year as a power forward. Her 8.9 points per game was tied for third best on the team and her 6.1 rebounds were second on the team. An aggressive player, Gobrecht expects Williams to reap the benefits of a tough off-season training program.
Said Gobrecht: "I'm really impressed with Tiffany's work ethic. She's bigger and stronger and we'll look to refine her game this year. There are some things she does very well, like rebounding and defense, but she's also capable of scoring. We need to challenge her to work hard this year so we can capitalize on her offensive skills."
Carter returns at small forward after starting 25 games as a freshman and earning Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention honors. She averaged 6.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, third best on the team. Her 69 assists, 12 blocks and 814 minutes were both second best on the team and her 44 steals were third best. A skilled ball-handler, Carter may see time in the backcourt as well.
Said Gobrecht: Tashara showed glimpses of greatness last season but was inconsistent. We're looking for more consistency from her this year."
Houser started seven of her 27 games as a small forward, averaging 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Her field goal percentage of .433 (61-of-141) was second highest on the team and her eight blocked shots was third. A skillful player, Houser has the ability to play on the wing as well as in the paint and could see time in both roles.
Said Gobrecht: "We want to play Whitney more on the perimeter. She has a nice shot and has some skills. But she is strong and likes the contact and she'll see time in the post as well."
Completing the group of returning forwards is Sneed. A hard worker, Sneed started three of her 23 games and finished the season averaging 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game. She made one start against California and made the most of it, getting a career-high 10 rebounds in only 19 minutes. Aggressive on the boards, Sneed provides another solid rebounder off the bench.
Said Gobrecht: "Adria's worked hard in the off-season to improve her game. She is one of our few seniors and you can never underestimate a senior. I expect good things from Adria."
Krause comes to USC via Prescott (Ariz.) High where her honors include 1997-98 Street & Smith's All-American honorable mention, 1997 All-State first team and 1996 All-State honorable mention, 1997 Skyline Region MVP and two-year Prescott Courier All-Tri-City first team.
Copp earned 1998 Orange Empire Conference first team honors and averaged 16.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while leading Fullerton (Calif.) College to a 27-9 mark, a conference title and a quarterfinal appearance in the California State Juco Tournament.
Said Gobrecht: "Our new post players are very critical because of how great our need is. Carmen and Aimee are two hard-working, quality athletes who opponents won't want to see come down the court. They're good athletes, work hard, crash the boards and both can score. They really help solidify that position for us."
The backcourt could undergo a serious facelift, especially with the return of the 5-7 Mashia. Joining Clark and Mashia are 5-7 junior guard Kim Clark, 5-10 freshman guard Tiffany Elmore and 5-8 freshman guard Camille Norwood. Kiyoko Miller, a 5-8 junior guard, was expected to be in the mix as well but will miss the season recovering from reconstructive shoulder surgery. Mashia was a Pac-10 All-Freshman first team performer in 1996. She set a Pac-10 and USC record 13 games into her career for consecutive free throws made (33). Mashia's 84.4 percent on 65-of-77 free throw shooting was a USC season percentage record. Almost as deadly behind the three-point arc as at the free-throw line, Mashia rewrote the three-point section in the USC record book. Making 38-of-87 three-point attempts at a 43.7 percent clip, Mashia set a new freshman standard for three-pointers made in a season and her season percentage was good for best all-time at USC.
Said Gobrecht: "One of our biggest questions is Erica Mashia. Will she be 100 percent? If so, I think this team can contend. But we don't know that and we have to remember that she has not played for two years. We'll have to see how her health holds up and how quickly she can clear the rust off. Those are the questions. Not whether she can play. She's a big-time player and everything she does, we need. She's an excellent shooter, passer and hits her free throws. She has a really calm, unwavering demeanor. Everything she does, this team needed last year. She is also a good rebounding guard and is one of the strongest players on the team. There's a lot of guarded optimism. Getting the defense down will probably be the hardest thing for her this season. But after two years, it takes guts to try and shake that off."
Miller started 21 of 26 games in 1998, fighting through a separated shoulder that hampered her play all season. She averaged 7.5 points per game and finished third on the team in steals (37), assists (58), three-pointers (nine) and minutes played (800). Miller, however, will spend the 1998-99 season rehabilitating her shoulder, forcing Gobrecht to replace a reliable weapon from the perimeter.
Said Gobrecht: "Kiyoko had done a great job in the off-season. She was committed in the weight room and we were looking forward to her providing key depth at guard. We will miss her hard-nosed defense and her consistency as a shooter."
Kim Clark had a fine season last year - when she was healthy. The feisty guard and two-sport star (she starts on USC's women's soccer team), Clark played in only 14 games last year, missing the preseason while with the soccer team and missing another 13 games with a back injury. She made the most of her time on the court, averaging 8.9 points per game. She made 15-of-39 three-pointers and the .385 percentage was good for the fifth-highest season three-point percentage in USC history. Her .455 field goal percentage (46-of-101) led the team. She will be a key component of USC's backcourt this season if her back heals.
Said Gobrecht: "We're very hopeful Kim will stay healthy because she is so important for USC, in basketball and soccer. Her health is a factor, as is her missing the preseason and joining the team after soccer season. But one thing is certain: she can play basketball and when she is on the court, she helps this team win."
Elmore was a 1997-98 Street & Smith's All-American honorable mention, Student Sports All-State first team selection and the Sacramento Bee's All-Area Player of the Year, averaging 26 points and nine rebounds a game as a senior in 1998. She led Florin to its third consecutive Delta League title, earning league MVP honors for the third straight season. She is an excellent spot-up shooter who will likely see more than her share of playing time as a freshman.
Said Gobrecht: "Tiffany is everything you want in a guard. She has great size, a great shot, range and handles the ball well. I almost have to fight the temptation to want too much from here. It's only a matter of time for her. She just has to realize that this is a new level. She'll be one of the best freshmen in the Pac-10 this year. She has a versatile game and can do a little bit of everything and she'll fit in great. We'll need her to knock down the three for us."
Norwood was a 1998 Street & Smith All-American honorable mention and All-City Section 4-A first team selection as a senior and was named 1998 L.A. Times Central City Player of the Year. She averaged 24.5 points per game as a senior. An excellent playmaker, Norwood should see time as a back-up point guard in 1999.
Said Gobrecht: "Camille is a much different guard from Tiffany. But she's an exciting player and it's only a matter of time for her. She's an outstanding passer and more of a point guard than Tiffany. She takes the ball to the basket well and finishes well. She can play."
Overall, Gobrecht said: "The big questions are: How quickly will the newcomers adjust to the team? Erica Mashia's health? Can this group that nearly doubled in size gel and develop an identity in one year? It's a huge task, especially in light of this being such a tough conference."
Joining the Women of Troy are transfers Danielle Golay and Denise Woods. Golay, a junior forward, comes to the team from Seton Hall where she was a Big East All-Conference second team selection and topped the team is scoring (17.0 ppg), rebounding (8.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.521). Woods, a sophomore center, transferred to USC from University of San Francisco where she was honorable mention for Freshman of the year in the West Coast Conference. Both Golay and Woods will begin play for the Women of Troy in the 1999-2000 season.
NCAA women's basketball west regionals - The way to San Jose is through L.A. See who marches on to the Women's Basketball Final Four at the 1999 NCAA West Regional hosted by USC, March 20 & 22 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
