for the future stars of the UConn women's basketball program to get back to work, that is.

Michala Johnson, a 6-foot-3 forward at Montini Catholic High in Lombard, Ill. was the first to take the court as she averaged 16.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in 16.5 minutes in the first two games of the season. True to his word, Montini coach Jason Nichols is limiting Johnson's minutes early in the season to work Johnson and her surgically-repaired knee back in the flow gradually. Montini is back in action on Tuesday hosting St. Francis.

North Babylon (N.Y.) guard Bria Hartley kicks off her senior season tomorrow with a 10 a.m. game at St. Anthony's followed by a 1 p.m. game Sunday at Christ the King and a Tuesday home game at 3 p.m. against Holy Trinity.

Lauren Engeln and Laguna Hills (Calif.) opens up Wednesday with a game at Tesoro, the next day Stefanie Dolson leads her Minisink Valley of Slate Hill, N.Y. squad against Middletown (N.Y.) High. That game is set to tip at 6:30 p.m.

Samarie Walker will be the last of the five high school seniors who have signed with UConn to debut as her Chaminade Julienne of Dayton, Ohio opens on Dec. 5 at Thurgood Marshall High of Dayton. Speaking of Walker, there's a story in today's Dayton Daily News about her and the Eagles