Maryland's Tianna Hawkins is a self-made player who has put herself in position to be a possible lottery pick in next month's WNBA draft while UConn's Stefanie Dolson will likely be one of the first post players off the board in the 2014 draft.

However, it could be some of the dynamic post players younger teammates who ultimately make the difference in tomorrow's Sweet 16 game.

UConn's Breanna Stewart could be in line to make her 11th career start or perhaps the UConn coaching staff will go with classmate Morgan Tuck or sophomore to try to match up with the Terrapins' towering front line. Meanwhile, freshman Malina Howard is the only healthy reserve over 6-feet tall.

With a trip in the regional final on the line, there can be no time for rookie jitters.

There certainly has been ample opportunities for UConn's young post players to get into a groove as Dolson has practiced on a limited basis due to issues with her right ankle and left foot.



"We talked to the post coaches and they were  telling us how Stef was not going to be in practice so we had to really step up," Stewart said.

When the teams met on Dec. 3 in Hartford, Stokes and Tuck combined to play just 15 minutes and they finished with a total of two points and four rebounds.



"Maryland is a physical team and Stef is our main post option right now but with me, Stewie and Tuck we really have to get our act together to help out because she can't do it by herself," Stokes said.

The promising sign is that Stewart, Stokes and Tuck have had impressive practices leading into tomorrow's game.

"They have had to step up and they have gotten more reps," UConn assistant coach Marisa Moseley said. "Stef is such an integral part of what we do that I think those guys know how much we rely on her and how much we need them as well so I think they really have stepped up. Obviously Stewie and Morgan as freshmen have really given us some big minutes especially for their first time (in the NCAA tournament) and Kiah always seems to finish strong. She may be up and down during the season but she has finished well in the last couple of years.

"For Stewie, the first time we played Maryland it was our first ACC game and second game (against a ranked team). I think having gone through 34 games with us and knowing what the expectation of what they could do and really the Big East tournament for  both of them they kind of came into their own a little bit. I think they have come out somewhat and maybe they continue to come out and I think it is just going to be a team effort offensively and defensively."

Howard, a one-time UConn recruiting target, was held scoreless against UConn during the regular season although she did have six rebounds in 15 minutes.

"We have gone through so many injuries and it was our first game without Laurin (Mincy) so I think was definitely a learning experience for us and it was the beginning of the freshman year and I was learning how physical the college game is," Howard said. "Now I have some great teammates and great coaches who taught me along the way to realize how physical it is and how to play the physical aspect of the game."

Diamond DeShields is a fun-loving teen so it fits with her personality that she just laughs every time she hears a new rumor of the school she is said to have committed to.

I spoke with her after Monday's second practice session during the U.S. U-19 trials in Colorado Springs, Colo. just to get a sense of when she might be ready to make her college choice.

"Definitely after my junior year," DeShields said. "I am in no rush. I love the recruiting process. If anything, this is what I wanted. I never thought the day would come when I'd be having requests to call say a Pat Summitt or Geno Auriemma. Everything is so surreal to me and I couldn't ask for a better basketball career and it is only going to get better. I don't think I'll be committing any time soon, I am going to wait it out because I don't want to be one of those people who regret their decision."

That doesn't stop people from spreading rumors about DeShields' college of choice.

"I get a lot of humor out of it just because it is amazing what people will say just to be able to say they were the first to say it," DeShields said. "People have told me I have committed to Baylor, people have told me I committed to Connecticut, people have told me I have verballed to Tennessee. I can't get mad at it because people are going to say what they want. If somebody tells you and you haven't heard the word come out of my mouth, why would you believe it. People want to go on the record as saying 'they found out first.'"

This much is true, there isn't a program in the country who wouldn't love to get a commitment from the 16-year-old sophomore at Norcross (Ga.) High. The 6-foot-1 DeShields has led Norcross to Georgia 5A titles during her freshman and sophomore seasons. She was the youngest player on the 2010 U.S. Under-18 national team and was the team's third-leading scorer.

Coaches and players alike have noticed a new, improved of DeShields who is not only a better player than she was a year ago but a more mature individual.

"Last year I used to hang my head, I used to let things that people say affect me, I used to be really emotional about criticism and I wasn't able to take criticism," DeShields said. "After being with players like Chiney Ogwumike, Bria Hartley, Stefanie Dolson and all of them, I definitely learned how to be more of a leader and everything people are saying is just to make me better."

Don't mistake maturity for a lack of exuberance, however. I could not end my interview with Diamond without asking her about her visit to UConn in October when she shocked everybody - especially UConn's coaching staff and compliance officers - when she jumped onto the court to take part in the First Night festivities.

"You can ask my high school teammates, my AAU teammates that I love to dance," DeShields said with a laugh. "This guy on the court said 'who can Dougie the best and I'll give you some free Usher tickets.' I love Usher so let me go out and try to win these tickets. Me and Kaleena (Mosqueda-Lewis) were going to go to the Usher concert if I won the tickets. I went out there and I lost. I just love to dance. If a song is going, I'll be in the grocery store dancing, I will be in the school hallway dancing, before the game and even during the games sometimes I'll be dancing. I just love to have fun.

"I just think that every visit I take is an opportunity to get to know me and for me to get to know the coaches. Talking over the phone, it only (allows) you to now somebody to a certain point. I guess their reaction to that is 'this girl like to have fun. She is outgoing, she is energetic.' They kind of got to know a different side to me and I got to know a different side of them."

DeShields is trying to make the best of yet another trip to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, which has helped in the development of some of the country's best athletes.

"Just being in this facility, not just great basketball players but great athletes," DeShields said. "This is where some of the greatest athletes in the world come to prepare for the Olympic games. That is a dream come true. I used to remember sitting at home wishing that some day I could be a part of USA anything - track, softball or something. Now to be a part of USA Basketball is a dream come true. My dream doesn't stop here, I want to be the best. This is where all the best play. One day I want people to come into this gym and say 'man, Diamond DeShields played here.' I want to be a legend just like all the other players."

The trials will wrap up on Wednesday with 16 finalists being named to the U-19 team. That list will eventually be cut to the final 12. If DeShields makes the cut, it would be an emotional moment for her.

"I honestly think I would cry because I know how hard I worked especially coming from last year," DeShields said. "Even all the awards and all the accolades, it is all happening to me so fast so if this happens, it will be another accolade. I have progressed so fast. I couldn't do it without God, I couldn't do it without my mom, I couldn't do it without my teammates around me, all the support I have with my coaches, everybody back home."

UPDATE ON MALINA HOWARD
It has been reported that Twinsburg (Ohio) High forward/center Malina Howard was no longer being recruited by UConn. Since she is also at the trials, I thought it would be worth my while to get the info straight from her.

When I asked her if UConn is still recruiting her, she said "I don't believe so."

As for the recruiting process for one of the top players in the high school Class of 2012, a commitment figures to be coming sooner rather than later.

"Hopefully (she'll commit) before my senior year starts so I don't have to worry about it too much during the season," Howard said. "I think I have been going through a lot and I know what I want to get accomplished in college and where I might fit in the best."

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was named the national high school player of the year by USA Today and was joined on the first team by UConn recruiting target Malina Howard.

UConn commit Morgan Tuck was named to the third team while UConn recruiting target Diamond DeShields was a second-team pick although somebody might want to tell USA Today that DeShields is a sophomore and not a junior.

It can't be easy picking teams like these but it is hard to take this team seriously with UConn commit Breanna Stewart not one of the 15 players making the cut.

You could see a certain twinkle in Geno Auriemma's eyes when he looked ahead to Saturday's showdown against Notre Dame.

Auriemma remembers the first meeting of the season between the two when UConn trailed by seven with 13:29 to play and by five with 4:23 remaining before escaping South Bend with a 79-76 victory.

Now comes the rematch and it could be another game which comes down to the wire.

"I've said this for 15 years now. when the day comes when people walk into the gym expecting them to lose, then there is no point having a program," Auriemma said. "Or you go on the road and you are supposed to win every game, there is no point of having a program any more. Tomorrow's game is supposed to go into triple overtime, somebody makes a big shot and the crowd goes home feeling like they all saw one of the best games they have ever seen."

Auriemma admits it was far from his team's best effort so the Huskies could gain some confidence from winning on the road against a very good team playing a so-so game while Notre Dame can take solace in the fact that it went toe to toe with the two-time defending national champions.

"After the game, in the locker room, we felt like we competed with them down to the wire and if we had done some things differently (they could have won)," Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. "I think that gave us some confidence so as we went into the next eight or nine games, we kind of went in thinking how much better can we get today and what do we have to do to get better and keep playing at this level. A lot of times you will play a game like that, you will compete hard and then the next game 'uh, not as good.' That is the one thing I am so pleased about with this group, no matter who we are playing they have the same approach. We have gotten a lot better defensively. I think that has a lot to do with how ready you are for the game."

TOP RECRUIT VISITING UCONN
Malina Howard, a 6-foot-4 forward at Twinsburg, Ohio, was in attendance at UConn's practice on FridaY with her parents and younger sister and is planning to take in Saturday's game as well.

Howard, a member of the U-18 national team which also included UConn freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley and UConn recruiting target Diamond DeShields, is averaging 21.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks for 20-0 Twinsburg. She has 14 double-doubles and had 39 points in a Feb. 5 win over Hudson. Despite being one of the youngest players on the U.S. team, Howard started all five games and posted averages of 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.

BIRD AT THE BUZZER SIGNING
Jeff Goldberg, a former UConn beat writer for the Hartford Courant, will be signing copies of his "Bird at the Buzzer" board beginning at noon at the UConn Co-Op and again after the game. The book looks back at the 2000-01 season and especially the games between UConn and Notre Dame. The title comes from former UConn star Sue Bird's game-winning shot in the 2001 Big East tournament final.

VANDERVEER, EDWARDS HALL OF FAME FINALISTS
Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and five-time Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards are among 12 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley will head to UConn after earning their first gold medal in international competition.

Hartley, a 5-foot-10 guard from North Babylon, N.Y., had 11 points (on 5 of 9 shooting), four assists and four steals in 21 minutes while had two points, four rebounds and three blocks in 15 minutes as the United States defeated Brazil 81-38 in the championship of the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship for Women on Sunday night.

Hartley finished third in the tournament in assists per game and was seventh in steals while Dolson was third with a 54.2 field-goal percentage (trailing teammates Howard and Ogwumike) and eighth in blocked shots.

UConn recruiting target Malina Howard led four U.S. players in double figures with 12 points, Theresa Plaisance had 11 points and Diamond DeShields, who is also on UConn recruiting radar, had 10 points and seven rebounds as the U.S. finished the tournament 5-0 and had an average scoring margin of 55.8 points.

Stanford signee Chiney Ogwumike was the leading scorer for the U.S., averaging 13.2 points per game. Hartley, who led the U.S. with 20 assists and tied for the team lead with 12 steals, was the only other double figure scorer with an average of 10.6 points per game. Dolson was second on the team with five blocks while averaging 6.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.

MALOTT NO LONGER CONSIDERING UCONN
In my daily reports, I have been posting updates on not only Dolson and Hartley, but UConn recruiting targets Howard, DeShields and Ally Malott. While it is too early to tell if Howard, who is a rising high school junior, and DeShields, who will be a high school sophomore in the fall, will land at UConn, I can say with certainty that Malott will not be playing for the Huskies.

I spoke to Ally about an hour ago and after asking her about her experiences with the U-18 squad, I switched gears to talk a little recruiting. I started reading off the schools I thought were in the mix with the sweet shooting 6-foot-3 forward from Middletown, Ohio when she stopped me in mid sentence to tell me that she was no longer considering UConn and Xavier. She said location was the main reason as she wants to play "no more than three or four hours from home."

There will be more on Malott's decision in a story in Tuesday's edition of the Register although the focus of the article will be on Dolson and Hartley. I spoke with Bria following Saturday's semifinal win over Chile and chatted with Dolson after I got off the phone with Malott on Sunday.

WNBA UPDATE
Brian Agler of the Seattle Storm will be the head coach of the WNBA squad in the July 10 "WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun" All-Star game. UConn's Geno Auriemma will be coaching the U.S. squad. All-Star voting wrapped up on June 23 an the league will announce the top 10 vote getters on Tuesday. Those 10 players are guaranteed a spot in the all-star game at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Speaking of the Connecticut Sun, guard Anete Jekabsone-Zogota is on her way back to Connecticut to have her right knee examined. Jekabsone-Zogota hurt the knee in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to New York and did not return. Tan White hurt her hand in the game but is staying with the team as they head to Tulsa for the second game of a six-game road trip.

UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley combined for 14 points and eight rebounds as the U.S. defeated Chile 98-28 on Saturday to earn a spot in the championship game of the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship for Women.

Hartley had an off shooting night hitting just 4 of 12 shots but finished with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals in 20 minutes. Dolson had six points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot in 15 minutes as the U.S. outrebounded Chile 59-16.

Stanford signee Chiney Ogwumike led the U.S. with 17 points to go with seven rebounds. Ogwumike (14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds) and Hartley (10.5 points, team-leading totals of 16 assists and 8 steals) are the only players averaging more than 10 points per game for the U.S., which has outscored its first four opponents by an average of 59 points. Dolson is averaging 7.3 points, while making 12 of 22 shots, and 4.3 rebounds. UConn recruiting targets Diamond DeShields (8.8 points), Ally Malott (7.8 points, 2.5 assists and a team-best seven 3-pointers) and Malina Howard (5.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) have also played well for the U.S., which will face Brazil in the championship game Sunday at 7:45 p.m. at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The U.S. has already clinched a berth in the FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women which will be held from July 20-30, 2011 in Chile. That team, as this squad, will be coached by former UConn star and current Hartford women's basketball coach Jen Rizzotti.

UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley were among four U.S. players to score in double figures as the hosts routed Argentina 81-32 on the first day of the FIBA America U-18 Championshup for Women in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Wednesday.

Dolson had 12 points (on 5 of 6 shooting), four rebounds, one assists, one steal and one block in 17 minutes while Hartley had 10 points to go with team-best totals of six assists and three steals. Stanford signee Chiney Ogwumike led the U.S. with 15 points and 12 rebounds while Kayla McBride had 10 points. UConn recruiting targets Malina Howard (8 points, 10 rebounds), Ally Malott (six points) and Diamond DeShields (five points) also contributed to an impressive effort by the U.S. which led 73-20 after three quarters.

The U.S., coached by former UConn star and current Hartford women's basketball coach Jen Rizzotti, plays Brazil at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday before wrapping up pool play on 7:45 p.m. Friday against Puerto Rico. Brazil defeated Puerto Rico 81-35 on Wednesday.

UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley as well as UConn recruiting targets Diamond DeShields, Ally Malott and Malina Howard were among the 12 players on the final U.S. Under-18 team roster.

USA Basketball originally named 16 finalists before getting down to the 12-player maximum for the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women which will be held from June 23-27 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Sidney Cook, Raven Ferguson, Afure Jemerigbe and Haley Peters did not make the cut for the team which will be coached by former UConn star and current Hartford head coach Jen Rizzotti. The 12-member squad will remain in Colorado Springs for training until the start of the tournament.

LAWSON IN ACTION
Kara Lawson, who was a game-time decision after injuring her left shoulder in the Connecticut Sun's win over Indiana, started and was the first Sun player to reach double figures in scoring in the back end of the home-and-home with the Fever on Sunday.

The Sun, despite a dreadful second quarter, are heading into the fourth quarter only down by nine points.

,UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley were among 16 finalists selected for the U.S. Under-18 national team after three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. UConn freshman to be Samarie Walker did not make the cut which could aid Walker in the long run as she can return to UConn to continue getting treatment on her knee.

UConn recruiting targets Ally Malott, Malina Howard and Diamond DeShields also made the cut.

The 16 finalists will remain in Colorado for training and four players will be cut by June 14 with that 12-member squad representing the U.S. at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women being held from June 23-27 in Colorado Springs.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis along with UConn recruiting targets Betnijah Laney, Elizabeth Williams, Breanna Stewart, Jordan Adams, Imani Stafford and Morgan Tuck were selected to the U-17 national team. The squad will play in the U17 World Championship July 16-25 in Rodez and Toulouse, France.

Kiah Stokes, on a short list of post players UConn is looking at in the current crop of rising high school seniors, was selected to represent the U.S. in the World Youth Olympic Games, a 3 on 3 tournament. The team will make a stop in Springfield, Mass. from Aug. 6-9 for training before leaving for the event in Singapore.