Wake Forest Traditions
 Deacons' Guard Loves A Good Laugh Whiteside's life is fun and games off the court, business on.
Jan. 13, 2000 By Jay Reddick WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Janae Whiteside described herself in an interview as "goofy." And this wasn't one of those oops-I-didn't-mean-to-say-that quotes that just slipped out of the Deacon guard's mouth. No no, she's proud of her quirky nature. "Basketball is a game; it's supposed to be fun," Whiteside said. "I love to do anything I can to make people laugh." Whiteside has been having a good bit of fun with the women's basketball team this season. Through 12 games, she was leading the team in assists with 2.8 a game to go along with her 5.8 scoring average. But the more you find out about Whiteside, the more you realize she's full of laughter. The 5-foot-6 junior from Charlotte lists "The Three Amigos" with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short among her favorite movies, and her favorite book is... "The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear." Hey, isn't that a kids' book? "I've always loved the Berenstain Bears," Whiteside said. "I've got almost the whole collection of their books, about 30 of them. They helped me learn about life at an early age, and I can't wait until my niece is old enough for me to read them to her." She also admits in the team's media guide that she wanted to be a Smurf when she was little and says the most important thing she's learned in college is that "Sleep is a blessing." But what most of her teammates know her for is her silly dances. "Before big games, there's always a little too much tension in the room for me," Whiteside said. "Everybody always laughs at me when I do dances and stuff, the goofier the better, and it helps people stay relaxed." Whiteside's life is not all fun and games, though. On the court, she's all business. After a victory over Florida State to begin the new year, the team was 5-7, and Whiteside knew what the team needed to stay on the winning track. "We're doing a lot of things well," Whiteside said. "Our defense is great right now, but we can't get our offense in gear. The shots just haven't been falling." The starter at shooting guard, Whiteside has been a big part of the defensive renaissance. Deacon coach Charlene Curtis and assistant Wray Cannaday have worked with her on one-on-one defense, and she now considers it a strength rather than a weakness. "I worked hard this summer on building my speed and quickness to help my defense and lateral movement," Whiteside said. "We lost one of our best defensive players last year (Heidi Coleman), and I'm looking to step up and fill that role." Whiteside has also made adjustments on the offensive side of the ball. She ranked as one of the team's best long-range shooters last season, making 36 of 95 3-point attempts and setting a school record with seven 3-pointers against Virginia on Feb. 27. But she hasn't found the same success in 1999 and 2000, making six of her first 37 attempts from outside. So she's finding other ways to contribute, while looking for her shot. "I've been looking to distribute the ball a little more," Whiteside said. "Our point guard (Val Klopfer) is also a great shooter, and if I can help her get the ball in a position to score, it helps the team get better." Curtis is happy with Whiteside's ability to handle the ball but is hoping her shooting touch returns soon. "What's amazing is that she was not a ballhandling guard in high school," Curtis said. "That part of her game has been completely developed here. She's improved her defense, but I'd like her to look for good shots herself more often. We're missing that element, and she needs to get that confidence back. Whiteside's seeming silliness has helped her develop respect among her teammates and coaches. The team elected her a co-captain this season, a position she takes seriously. "She's taken on a different role in the lineup and with the team," Curtis said. "She does some things and says some things in pregame that help us but not all the time. She's becoming a more consistent leader, and she knows when to be very serious as well as funny. "She's very motivated. She wants to win." True to her nature, Whiteside is keeping a positive attitude about the ACC battles to come. The squad stayed close with N.C. State with 33 minutes before losing in early December, and the way Whiteside figures it, if the No. 3 team in the country is within reach, the rest of the league had better watch out. "We beat Florida State, and any ACC win is huge," Whiteside said. "We played well at N.C. State, so we'll have confidence against them the second time around. If anybody else slips, we'll jump up and bite them. Bite them hard."
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