Trio has game, lacks nickname
Connecticut's Renee Montgomery, Maya Moore and Tina Charles -- widely considered the best point guard-wing-post combo in women's college basketball -- have plenty of game but could use a nifty nickname.
The Big Three sounds tame given their flair for the spectacular, but self-promotion isn't their style. "We don't want to be separate [from the team]," Moore says.
Neither do they encourage analogies to the Big Three of another New England hoops institution, the Boston Celtics, who earned the 2008 NBA title behind Ray Allen (who played for UConn), Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
''They're amazing,'' Montgomery says. ''We don't have anyone as pure a shooter as Allen or as dominant as KG or as crazy [skilled] as Pierce. I've heard people comment about that. I hate doing comparisons.''
Moore, a 6-foot sophomore forward-guard, and Charles, a 6-4 junior center, are former high school players of the year. Montgomery, a 5-7 senior guard, and Moore were All-Americans last year. All three could earn the nod this year.
They're the main reason the No. 1-seeded Huskies (33-0), who open the NCAA tournament today against 16th-seeded Vermont, are prohibitive favorites to win their sixth NCAA title and first since 2004. They've helped the Huskies recover from the loss of 2008 prep player of the year Elena Delle Donne, who transferred to play volleyball at Delaware, and freshman starter Caroline Doty, who was shooting the lights out before tearing a ligament in her knee.
''You've got three players that in their own way can win the game for you,'' says Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, whose Huskies are seeking their first unbeaten season since 2002. ''A lot of people aren't fortunate enough to have that.''
South Florida coach Jose Fernandez, whose team lost to UConn twice this season, is familiar with the Huskies' arsenal.
''They're three of the top, what, seven, eight players in the country?'' Fernandez says. ''That's pretty good.''
That helps explain why the Huskies, the lone Division I unbeaten, are running roughshod over opponents, with the trio combining for 51 points, 19.3 rebounds and 52 percent shooting. They're beating opponents by 31.5 points. Their closest games were won by 10 points, 76-66 against Notre Dame and 69-59 against Rutgers.
''When you have all three of them clicking on all cylinders, they've been unbelievable,'' says first-year Temple coach Tonya Cardoza, a UConn assistant the previous 14 seasons. ''They're in sync right now. It's like the Bulls when [Michael] Jordan and [Scottie] Pippen were playing. It's going to take a real good team to knock them off.''
The Owls could get a shot in a potential second-round game.
The trio also provides intangibles.
''When you see them working that hard in practice every day, it inspires the other guys,'' starting guard Kalana Greene says. ''They're setting high expectations. On top of that, they're unselfish, willing to make the next pass, set a good screen, help a teammate up who's fallen. It's fun to be a part of.''
The Huskies have the three key positions covered. Start with Montgomery, who's deadly from the arc or off the dribble. Auriemma has so much regard for her that he broke precedent and had her jersey (No. 20) retired on senior night, making her the first active Husky to be so honored.
She can be a lethal scorer or a distributor and usually is both.
''We would be in a difficult situation without her doing what she does best,'' Auriemma says. ''Most teams rely on great guard play. It doesn't matter how good your big guys are, it doesn't matter how skilled your wings are if you don't have a really good guard getting them the ball and managing the game.
''There's a comfort level with Renee that you know she's in charge of the game.''
Montgomery often finds Moore, who can score from the arc, muscle in the paint or pull up with her midrange game.
Moore is such a good shooter that she's tempted to hang around the three-point line.
''She's just got to make sure she doesn't become only an outside shooter,'' associate head coach Chris Dailey says.
Moore, the two-time Big East player of the year, is a strong candidate for national player of the year along with Angel McCoughtry of Louisville and Montgomery. Moore's contributions extend beyond spectacular plays, however.
Cardoza says it's an ideal situation for a coach and team ''when you have one of the best players in the country work as hard as she does. When she came to UConn last year, she definitely rubbed off on a lot of guys. She didn't even realize what she was able to do for Renee and Tina.
''She showed them with her work ethic that you can work extremely hard and still have fun doing it. She's been the reason Tina and Renee have had the success they've had."
Charles says ''something clicked'' early in the season. Her consistency has improved. Criticized as ''too nice,'' she's heeding the advice of coaches, Montgomery and Moore.
''I have to be a more dominant force inside,'' she says. ''When you're an upperclassman, you realize time is counting down, especially for a senior like Renee. You feel a sense of urgency and want it more.''
The UConn offense gets a lot of attention, ranking first in Division I in scoring (83.8), field-goal percentage (50.8) and assists a game (19.9). Before the season, Auriemma met with New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, whose offense Auriemma admired when D'Antoni coached the Phoenix Suns and helped with the 2008 Olympic team.
''We've got a point guard who can really cause problems with the ball,'' Auriemma says. ''We've tried to get our spacing better, allow her to create off the dribble more and attack earlier. We used to make a lot of passes to try to get people open.''
As with the offense, the Big Three play a critical role on the overshadowed defense along with players such as Greene and Tiffany Hayes. The Huskies are No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (52.3) and field-goal-percentage defense (32.8). They held South Florida, averaging 77.7 points, to 37 and 42 points. Cincinnati got seven in a half.
''It starts with their point guard,'' Fernandez says of Montgomery. ''They do such a good job of taking you out of things early. Out on the wings, they're long and athletic. ... If they do get beat baseline or middle, [Charles] can change shots. It's tough.''
So the Big Three have the offense and defense covered. The three are together off the court, too, with one another and the rest of the team. There are birthday dinners and regular gatherings for poker and video games after practice.
''What helps us out on the court is how close we are off the court,'' Montgomery says. ''It's great playing with players who are so unselfish and talented. That's hard to find.''
So is a catchy nickname.
Gannett News Service