One of the first things I noticed when I walked into UConn's practice yesterday is that there was more talking on the court than I had seen out of this particular group.

It doesn't hurt that Caroline Doty, perhaps the team's most vocal player, seems to be feeling much better than she did in recent days and weeks. Tiffany Hayes, Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley always tend to talk more during practice while Kelly Faris continues to improve in that matter as are the three freshmen.

"The more they understand what is going on, the easier it is to communicate that with each other," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "The hardest thing there is to do as a player is to constantly communicate with other people because it takes an awful lot of confidence in your own ability to be able to do that. Sometimes what young players don't understand is the more you can verbalize what it is you are trying to do, the more you do that, the more you get used to doing it, the better you understand what it is you can do to contribute. It helps you and it helps the other people. It is personalities too. Stefanie talks a lot because that is her personality,Tiffany talks a lot because that is her personality. With Bria it is the same thing. You hope that the longer they play and the more confident they get, the more they talk. It is all related."

Dolson tends to be more among the most vocal UConn players but she has seen a difference in the last few days of practice.
"I think everyone can be more comfortable with the team so everyone is stepping up, they feel like they can say things and people will listen," Dolson said. "I think everyone has done a great job of listening, following some people leading. We are definitely becoming more of a team in our last couple of practices, the last couple have been really good and I just hope everyone keeps it up."