Mohegan – Anne Donovan’s voice does not carry. True to her understated demeanor. Officials have a hard time hearing her sometimes when she calls timeout. She’s been somewhere between reluctant and sheepish over the years to address the infrequent instances when she’s pulled a full nutty on her team.

And then there was Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. It was during a timeout in the first half, the one in which Donovan’s team would allow Tulsa to shoot a crisp 58 percent, that Donovan’s decibels were decisive. There was one voice in the huddle. One loud, frustrated cry for her players to follow the plan.

It took some time. But they did. Finally. None more than Kelly Faris, whose joie de vivre was infectious. Faris’ contribution to the Sun’s 80-74 win over Tulsa belied the actual numbers: five points, four rebounds and two assists. Faris was the ambulance driver, offering quick pick-me-ups for her teammates. With the unspoken respect of constant effort.

She kept possessions alive, throwing her body at the ball if necessary. She passed the ball to open teammates. (A novel concept here sometimes). She played smothering defense. She wanted to.

“That’s who Kelly is,” Donovan said. “Her hustle, energy and defense. She kept asking ‘do you want me to guard Williams? Do you want me to guard Williams?’ I love that about her.”

Donovan alluded to Tulsa’s Riquna Williams, the team’s second-leading scorer and WNBA All-Star. Williams, small and combustible, is the female Vinnie Johnson, the old “microwave” for the Detroit Pistons. No one would blame defenders to start running the other way when Williams starts humming.

Instead, Faris welcomed the challenge.

“I enjoy guarding the best player,” Faris said. “That’s how I get better. There’s no sense in guarding the worst player. I won’t get any better.”

That’s Faris. Understated like her coach.

This has been Faris’ best season as a pro here in the state that adores her. Her numbers remain modest. But she’s far more willing to take open shots now. She defers less. She acts like she belongs. At both ends.

“If I want to play, I’ve got to be better at both ends of the court,” Faris said. “I’ve had this conversation with coach. She knows what I can do defensively. She’s not as confident in the offense.”

Faris might be a more valuable part now than ever. Alyssa Thomas hurt her shoulder and missed most of the game Wednesday. Elizabeth Williams has a knee issue and may be out for a while. So it’s Faris and Kayla Pedersen to the rescue. Say this much for them: Nobody else plays harder. Pedersen had eight huge rebounds Wednesday.

“I think you’re starting to see her get more confident offensively,” Donovan said. “She incites our energy with the defense she plays. It’s no coincidence.”

Faris has always been a most curious case here. She gets the loudest cheers, but hardly plays. The fandom prefers to focus on what she can do rather than what she can’t. But she’s always remained Kelly Faris. Which is to say: hard worker, willing learner and true to her upbringing. Shut up and play.

It’s hard to predict whether Faris will have a job here next year. Allison Hightower returns. So does Chiney Ogwumike and, presumably, Kelsey Griffin. That means three people must go. Faris could very well be one of them. But for a kid many of us criticized on draft night — she’s just can’t score enough to play in this league — Kelly Faris is still here. And, frankly, better than ever.

Faris incites her teammates with her energy. She incites the crowd with her background and UConn heritage. And she may be a huge part here if the Sun, a game out of the playoffs, get to the postseason.

Kelly Faris.

Who knew?

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius