Ever wonder why the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team is so much better than even the best of their opponents? Here is a large part of the difference. During warm ups prior to the South Carolina game, the night of Feb. 13, I took note of a tall, athletic looking player on the Gamecock's team. The team was doing stretching exercises, and this player was sort of going through the motions, half-heartedly doing the exercises the others were performing fully. As the pre-game activities progressed to basketball drills, she participated in the same lackadaisical manner. At times she would break into a dance move in sync with the music playing in the background. It turned out that this player was a team captain and its high scorer, A'Ja Wilson. And therein lies the difference between UConn and other programs.

At UConn the best players work just as hard as the substitutes, be it in practice, pre-game or during the game. By doing so they not only make themselves better players, they make their teammates better. If they don't work consistently hard, they don't play. It's that simple. It has worked for this wonderful team that is such a joy to root for. 

Thomas M. Moriarty

East Lyme