Storrs — Perhaps there is just something in the water in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Maya Moore, who was born the capital of the Missouri, graduated UConn as the Huskies' all-time leading scorer and was one of the program's most relentless players.

Fast forward several years and there was a photo of Moore with a young basketball prodigy from Jefferson City named Napheesa Collier. Years later Collier would follow a similar path to Moore first by moving out of Jefferson City and then heading to play for UConn Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma.

Collier, who will look to help top-ranked UConn to its 101st win a row when it plays at Tulane on Saturday night, also happens to have a work ethic and on-court motor similar to Moore.

"We don't get a chance to spend a lot of time together, but it is so crazy that both of us lived in the same area of Missouri and just proud of her and what she has grown into," Moore said. "She is another one who is still figuring out how awesome she can be. She is really talented and has a coolness about her, a poise about her that you can't really teach."

Collier is on the verge of joining Swin Cash, former teammate Breanna Stewart and yes Maya Moore as the only UConn players with at least 50 steals and 50 blocked shots in the same season. Her scoring average has also jumped 12.3 points from her freshman season, which is the second best one-year improvement for a UConn player. Her 66.7 field-goal percentage this season is the best for any player in program history not named Tamika Williams.

If there is a constant in all of those gaudy numbers, it is that her intensity and work rate has resulted in an All-American caliber sophomore season after being a role player as a freshman. Collier beats opposing forwards down the court in every game, establishes low post position before her opponents are ready and plays at full speed whenever she is on the court. That was one of the first things that Auriemma noticed about Collier when he was recruiting her.

However, her relentless style of play began to be formulated not on a basketball court but in another sport.

"I think it started really early," Collier said. "I started playing soccer when was 4 so my parents drilled into my early that whether you are good or not, you have to give maximum effort."

Much of her early success in sports came when she lived in Jefferson City, which also counts former World Series champions Joe Crede and Tom Hanke as well as golfer John Daly as other prominent athletes who have spent time in the city. Of course Moore is the athlete from the city that she would most like to emulate.

"We don't have a close relationship or anything, but I have met her before I came to UConn," Collier said. "It was really cool. She started at Jeff City, moved somewhere else and went to UConn and I did the same thing so I guess it is a little ironic."

UConn junior guard Kia Nurse played a season-low 18 minutes in Monday's win over South Carolina and there is a chance her tender right ankle could keep her out of the Tulane game.

Nurse is considered to be a game-time decision as UConn will decide if sitting her out of the game will be the best course of action to get Nurse as healthy as possible. The Huskies don't play again until Wednesday when Temple comes to the XL Center. Nurse has never missed a game since arriving at UConn.