In addition to speaking with UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Samarie Walker, I chatted with former UConn recruiting target Chiney Ogwumike about her decision to commit to Stanford over UConn.

Even all these months later Chiney Ogwumike still gets a tad bit melancholy when she remembers placing that call to UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

The winner of the Morgan Wootten Award as the McDonald's national high school player of the year, Ogwumike thought long and hard about spending the next four years of her life at UConn. But in the end, the academic credentials that Stanford brought to the table was simply too much for the 6-foot-3 forward from Cypress, Tex. to overlook.

"It was extremely difficult because I fell in love with Coach Auriemma, I fell in the love with the mentality of the team and the way they play basketball," said Ogwumike, who will join her older sister Nneka at Stanford in the fall. "It was tough but I knew what I had to do did not have to be just about basketball, it was what I worked for athletically and academically and I felt like I could best achieve that at Stanford. I think he understood that because we have similar personalities in a way. We are both fierce and I could really understand his philosophies on basketball. It was a difficult decision because the coaching staff there was amazing.

"Some people think it is because of Nneka but I treated her as a teammate, I treated her as a Maya Moore or a Skylar Diggins. It had to do what was right for myself athletically and academically."

Ogwumike bonded with the UConn recruits during her unofficial visit to UConn in October and the relationships blossomed even more over the last few days when Ogwumike was able to hang out with UConn incoming freshmen Bria Hartley, Stefanie Dolson and Samarie Walker during the events leading up to Wednesday's McDonald's All-American Game at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

"I love them. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (one of two high school juniors to commit to UConn) is my best friend, Bria Hartley she is a sweet and she is an amazing player. I really bonded with those two when we were all there over the summer that week, it was really special. They did end up committing that weekend which is really crazy but I knew I had to keep my head straight on. They are just phenomenal people, Bria, Kaleena, Dolson, Samarie and you can tell they are hungry for success and that is one thing I really admire."

Ogwumike will be in San Antonio for the Final Four since she will be playing in the WBCA High School All-American Game on Saturday but she also wants to be on hand to support her sister who has emerged into an All-American as a sophomore for the Cardinal. The younger Ogwumike knows it will be strange if Tuesday's national championship game happens to be between UConn and Stanford.

"Things happen for a reason and if they do end up being in the final (game), I think that would be a great moment for basketball because the No. 1 and 2 teams would match up and I would get to see my sister play in the championship game," Ogwumike said. "I think it would be a great game because Stanford has matured and UConn is flawless, it would be interesting to me."


CHARLES, GREENE INVITED TO DRAFT
UConn's Tina Charles and Kalana Greene are among 14 players who have been invited to attend the WNBA draft

Charles will be taken with the first overall pick by the Connecticut Sun while Greene could also be a first-round selection.

Here's a list of the players being invited to the April 8 draft which will be held in Secaucus, N.J.

Name College/University Position Height
Jayne Appel Stanford Center 6’4”
Tina Charles Connecticut Center 6’4”
Alysha Clark Middle Tennessee State Forward 5’10”
Kalana Greene Connecticut Guard 5’10”
Kelsey Griffin Nebraska Forward 6’2”
Allison Hightower Louisiana State Guard 5’10”
Alison Lacey Iowa State Guard 6’0”
Danielle McCray Kansas Guard/Forward 5’11”
Chanel Mokango Mississippi State Forward 6’5”
Jacinta Monroe Florida State Forward 6’5”
Jene Morris San Diego State Guard 5’9”
Andrea Riley Oklahoma State Guard 5’5”
Amanda Thompson Oklahoma Forward 6’1”
Monica Wright Virginia Guard 5’11”