When Michala Johnson signed her letter of intent last November, she envisioned how her freshman season at UConn would play off. It's safe to say playing 23 minutes in the first seven games of the season was never one of the scenarios she played out in her mind.

However, with two serious knee injuries she suffered while in high school limiting her conditioning work, the 6-foot-3 Johnson has been brought along slowly by the Huskies.

"It is difficult at times," Johnson said after Friday's practice at Gampel Pavilion. "It is more mentally frustrating for me because I haven't played in so long so I am still trying to adjust to things. Other than that it is just staying focused, keep working hard, keep cheering my teammates on. It is like what Coach (Geno Auriemma) says, it is not about me, it is about the whole team. I feel like I have to continue to work hard and be there for my teammates."

When Johnson comes into the games, it is pretty evident that she is still shaking off the rust after missing nearly her entire junior season and then being sidelined after 19 games during her senior year at Montini Catholic High in Lombard, Ill.

Johnson knows she tends to rush things when she gets into the game as she tries to make up for lost time.

"In my mind it is like 'go, go' but my body is slowing down and I'm not as fast as I think I am," Johnson said.

MOORE SITS OUT PART OF PRACTICE
Neither senior forward Maya Moore nor Auriemma made a big deal of the senior All-American sitting out the final hour or so of practice. As a matter of fact, Auriemma used his well known sarcasm to talk about Moore being left on the sidelines as the Huskies went through half-court offensive drills even if Moore did appear to be hobbling around a bit following practice.

"She tweaks something every day," Auriemma said. "There is always something. She told me when we signed her, she doesn't do practice after road games. It is part of her contract, she doesn't do day games after night games. If the flight is over an hour, she gets the day off the next day so I had to honor her contract. She is always like that. She is the first one here to (head) into the training room and she is the last one out. She is like a NASCAR, there are a lot of people working on her on a regular basis to get her ready to race."

For those sarcasm-challenged folks out there, obviously Auriemma was having some fun at the expense at a player who needs nine points in Sunday's game against Sacred Heart to become the program's all-time leading scorer. Moore was not the only target of Auriemma's caustic barbs. He joked that when he was in Tampa, he wasn't able to watch the Duke/Michigan State men's basketball game because the braces of freshman guard Bria Hartley interfered with the satellite signal.

Speaking of Hartley, she was proud to announce that her braces will be coming off on Dec. 22.

"I have been counting down since they told me," Hartley said. "I tried to time it perfectly. Three years. Everybody says 'you don't smile.' I said when I get the braces off, I will smile."

Hartley also said that she was to blame for the decision to start senior Lorin Dixon at point guard against South Florida.

"I guess I was a little ..., you just get tired mentally," Hartley said. "I don't want to think I need a break because I like to think I can do anything. I guess sometimes it becomes overwhelming and you just have to work through it."

Auriemma was not ready to name his starting point guard against Sacred Heart.

"Sometimes this year it is going to be on a whim," Auriemma said. "I think this will work tonight. Sometimes I will look at somebody and say 'I don't know if they've got it' or 'she looks really, really ready.' I thought Lorin came to shootaround and she had it going. I thought, let's give it a shot and see what happens. Both of them responded great. I thought Lorin had her best game in a Connecticut uniform in a long, long time. Bria came in off the bench and played great."

UCONN/STANFORD SERIES CONTINUES ON
Before Thursday's game at South Florida, UConn announced that it extended its regular-season series with Stanford for two more years.

"That was kind of the plan going in. I hope this works out," Auriemma said. "We've had some great games with them over the last three years and I think it makes sense to want to extend it. They are really, really good. They have a great tradition, they have a great fan base. I think it is a natural."

TIPPETT ON UCONN'S RECRUITING RADAR
A recruiting source said that the UConn coaches is keeping tabs on Australian teen Gretel Tippett. UConn hasn't been seriously involved recruiting an Australian kid since Jessica Foley chose Duke over UConn and played for the Blue Devils from 2002-06. While Foley, who hit the game-winning shot in Duke's win over UConn on Jan. 3, 2004, made it pretty clear that she wanted to come to the U.S., Tippett's story is a little different. While Duke and UConn are among the schools who would welcome her into fold, Tippett's case is not as clear cut. Currently a double-digit scorer at Australia Institute of Sport, she is a highly-touted prospect who is drawing pro interest as well. The source said that if Tippett was serious about UConn and was able to make it in for a visit, she would be welcomed. Tippett could also be getting pressure from Australia to stay home and train with the national team program. Tippett is in the same class as UConn signees Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Brianna Banks and Kiah Stokes.

CAREER SQUAD TAKES IN PRACTICE
The Career girls' basketball team was in attendance at Thursday's practice and posed with photos with the UConn players after the practice was over.