“First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they’ll eventually conquer you.”
—Dr. Rob Gilbert, success author
It seems for every Virginia women’s basketball victory, the story goes something like this: Lyndra Littles puts up about 25 points, Monica Wright scores 20 and grabs about seven rebounds and Aisha Mohammed totals about 15 and 10. It’s a trifecta so well-rounded that it’s nearly impossible for any team not of top 25-caliber to stop.
The question is, then, what about the games when the Cavaliers face ranked title contenders? If a team has the weapons to match Virginia’s three stars, what can Virginia do to have a chance of walking away with a win?
As we saw Thursday night in Virginia’s game against Duke when the Blue Devils thoroughly dominated the Cavaliers, Virginia can’t just rely on its big three. As unlikely as it seems when the three stars total more than 60 points, there really are opponents with enough talent and athleticism to stop Littles, Wright and Mohammed.
This is why Virginia’s habitual method of throwing the veterans in and letting them run away with the game might end up harming the team. By putting so much emphasis on only those three players, the rest of the roster doesn’t adjust and can’t be ready to step up when it needs to. Defenses can hone in their efforts on the three and stifle most of Virginia’s offensive production.
It’s not as if Virginia absolutely needs all three of the players to put up monumental performances to win. Before Littles returned to the court Dec. 18 following an academic suspension, the team seemed to be more balanced, yet still able to win games. Consider the team’s biggest victory of the season: an 83-82 win over No. 5 Tennessee Nov. 7. Though Wright’s performance was jaw-dropping — 35 points in 39 minutes — Virginia couldn’t have won without its depth. Whitny Edwards, Britnee Millner, Chelsea Shine and Ariana Moorer contributed a combined 27 points, including a game-winning free-throw from Millner.
Virginia could have given Duke a run for its money if a few more Cavaliers had seriously contributed. It would have forced the Blue Devils to lay off Virginia’s stars a little bit. But it just didn’t happen; besides Wright, Mohammed and Littles, U.Va. shot a combined 3-14. If the shot distribution had more closely matched the game against Tennessee, with the game entrusted as much to younger players as to seasoned veterans, the Cavaliers could have stumped Duke and maybe pulled out the upset.
Moorer and Edwards, in particular, have proven they can be offensive forces. Moorer is highly capable at running an offense, and Edwards is a lights-out shooter. Shine has excellent size and strength and has matched up well against very good players, both offensively and defensively.
They’re only freshmen, but why not put the game in their hands a little bit more? Odd as it seems, it’d be a better sign for the team if they lost a few games trusting younger players than what has actually happened: the Cavaliers routinely toppling non-ranked opponents using a front-loaded approach.
And before you point to last Friday’s home victory against Maryland and declare that everything is fine for the lady Cavs, remember that the game was sort of a fluke. Virginia needed a huge comeback to walk away with a win.
I don’t mean to say Virginia’s loss to Duke spells doom for the rest of the season. Regardless of the concerns, Virginia has had a great year so far. The Cavaliers have put up a phenomenal record and gained a strong foothold on a spot in the national polls.
But I fear that the loss — like the team’s loss against Florida State — is a prophecy for what’s coming to Virginia down the line. If Wright, Littles and Mohammed get shut down or have an off day in the ACC or NCAA tournament, will there be anyone to step up? Right now, it doesn’t seem like anyone is ready.
With the system Virginia has set up now, bad habits are developing, and it’s time to overcome them. Unless the Cavaliers start giving depth players a more routine presence in the offense, Virginia might not be able to compete with the elite.
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