Wake Forest Athletics
Gold Rush: Naughton Feature
2/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2006
by Jay Reddick - If the Wake Forest women's basketball team can build on last year's success, it will depend on a group of players who weren't even around last season.
Three freshmen were in the starting lineup when the Deacons opened their ACC season Jan. 2, and none has played a bigger role in the early going than Deirdre Naughton. The 5-foot-10 guard has brought size, athleticism and the ability to score from all over the floor to the WFU lineup from almost her first day on campus.
For Naughton, as with any freshman, there has been a period of adjustment, but she said it has been easier for her. The time spent in practice or the weight room, which others might see as necessary drudgery, is something that brings her joy.
"I have a great passion for the game and everything about it," Naughton said. "I've always had a different feel for it, and I'm just so proud that I get to keep playing in college."
Naughton hasn't just played, she has excelled. After the Deacons upended N.C. State 65-64 on Jan. 7, Naughton was third on the squad with 12.7 points per game, hitting double digits in 12 out of 13 games (all starts). She led the team in rebounding and was second in steals and assists.
Coach Mike Petersen might have seen this coming. During the preseason, Petersen guessed that the Winnetka, Ill., product "should have a smooth transition from high school to college." And sure enough, when the team took the floor for the first time, Naughton was in the starting lineup. But she said she has earned everything she's gotten so far.
"(Petersen) played everybody in the first couple of games for pretty even minutes," Naughton said. "He shows me by the way he coaches that he can trust me, and that means a lot."
Last year's Women's NIT bid, the first postseason berth for Wake Forest since 1988, has raised expectations on campus, and a 7-5 start to the season could have thrown a little water on that fire. In particular, the Deacons' ACC opener, a 100-54 loss at Duke, raised a lot of eyebrows. But Naughton said the game gave her and her teammates hope for the future.
"Duke was great," Naughton said, referring to the Devils themselves as well as the timing of the game. "Having it first in the ACC (schedule) told us what we're up against, and we put it behind us immediately. We know no team will ever exert that much pressure against us again, offensively and defensively, so it made us that much more confident."
It showed in the team's next game against the Wolfpack, a team poised to enter the national top 25. Naughton scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, making her the only starter to shoot more than 50 percent from the floor, and Cotelia Bond-Young stepped up with a 3-point play in the final seconds to clinch the victory.
And if Naughton drew confidence from a 46-point loss, imagine what the win did for her.
"The game really gave us a look at our strengths and weaknesses, and exactly what we can do against the ACC," Naughton said. "N.C. State's probably the third- or fourth-best team in the league, and we beat them. Now we know, if we play tough for 40 minutes like we're capable, we can play on that level."
For the team, Naughton said the big step was learning to play together, not surprising for a lineup with two seniors and three true freshmen. For herself, Naughton said the biggest step is yet to come.
"I've gotten quicker, and especially stronger, since I've been here," Naughton said. "The weight room has been a huge part of whatever improvements I have made. I still need those things, but my biggest thing right now is defense. In high school, you can afford to be just a shooter, which I was, but in college you need all the tools. I need to get consistent and play better defense."
Naughton's shot has already gotten her noticed. If she becomes a more complete player, more victories like the one over the Wolfpack could be on the horizon.
