Richards a solid force for women’s basketball squad
There’s no telling what USU junior point guard Taylor Richards has in store for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, but one thing is for sure: It takes much more than a hit in the eye to keep the Aggies’ team leader out of the game.
While the University of Nevada paid a visit to the Aggie’s home court at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Richards got sliced just above her right eye, resulting in a shiner that was still lingering during her last week of play for the season.
Early on in the season, Richards was chosen for the Iowa State Classic All-Tournament Team while also bringing herself closer to topping the USU assists record, which she later surpassed with 249 assists in an Aggies overtime victory of 81-75 over Fresno State Univeristy on Jan. 6.
Richards posted a career-high 28 points in the game, and it was her four assists in the contest that aided in her record breaking.
“That’s just something that happens if you have a good career and you continue to play well,” Richards said. “It doesn’t amount to our wins. Winning is so much more exciting than anything. It’s cool to have that go along with our great season.”
As a team, the Lady Aggies had their best game of the season against Fresno State, Richards said. Coming from a blowout last year, USU came out and took the win in an exciting overtime face-off, she said. Richards scored the title of WAC Player of the Week for Jan. 8. This award was the first of its kind for any Aggie player since joining the WAC. At 5-foot-4, Richards was the top rebounding player for USU in its final home game against Louisiana Tech University.
Although the team ultimately lost to the Lady Techsters, Richards fought her way to 10 points and eight rebounds in her 38 minutes of play.
“We play a lot of big girls,” Richards said. “Our posts have a lot cut out for them, so if they can get their box out and just tip that ball out, usually us little guards can squeeze in there and grab some loose balls. It just works out that way. Everyone works real hard. It just kind of depends where you’re at when the rebound comes up and how hard you pursue it.”
A Hunter High School alumna, Richards had four years’ lettering experience with the Wolverines. Richards was not only captain of the team, but she was on top of the scoring list as she averaged 18 points per game her senior year. Not only did she prosper in basketball, but she also had a three-year lettering run with the school volleyball team
Previous to the Aggies’ last two games of the regular WAC season, Richards held strong at the top of the careers assists record with 282. Richards was also able to pass up the 800-point mark, getting a total of 814 points during USU’s competition with the Lady Techsters.
“I’ve definitely had to play a different position,” Richards said. “That’s been a little bit different to come in and play the two-guard. Different mentality, but I think I’ve accepted the role pretty well, and I just try to get better at it.”
Richards continues to best her efforts. Anything she can do to further assists and keep turnovers to a minimum makes a big difference in how well she has helped her team, Richards said. This tactic had a chance to shine when the Aggies faced Idaho State University early on in the season. Richards posted 26 points, leading her team to victory.
USU will enter the WAC Tournament in sixth place, just behind the University of Hawaii. The Aggies finished last in the league in a preseason media and coach’s pole, but they are now proving that wrong.
“We’re excited to go to the WAC Tournament,” Richards said. “Everything is a lot different this year, you know, all of our experience. Our wins are a lot different and even our losses. They’re really competitive so we’re excited to go into the tournament. We really know that we can do great things this year.”
USU picked Richards up as a freshman, where she hit the ground running. She dished out more than 90 assists in Big West Conference play, the only freshman in the conference to do so.
As a sophomore, she pulled down 17 starts in 27 season games, and in two of those games she played the entire 40 minutes.
This elementary education major knows just how far the Aggies basketball program has come in the last few years as a participant in the rebuilding of a team that had been reinstated for the 2003-2004 season since the school saw a need for it’s discontinuing in order to save money.
Head Coach Raegan Pebley came on board for the first season since the school had last seen women’s basketball in the 1986-1987 season.
“Since the program started, everyone’s been surprised by how quick we’ve advanced,” Richards said. “And definitely we have more experience, and we have more confidence. This year we’ve been competing really well. We’ve had some upsets we’ve pulled of. We’re confident this year. I think that’s the biggest thing.” Averaging 33.3 minutes per game in the WAC, Richards keeps up with her 45.8 field goal percentage. Hitting 27-of-39 shots at the free-throw line, she looks at the things she can improve on for the remainder of the season and those to come.
Richards hasn’t exceeded her expectations on the season. She said she recognizes the advancing of her team but constantly feels that there is always room for improvement on her part. Richards has much to be proud of – in WAC play, she leads her team in 3-pointers made, as she has 20.
“I’m kind of a hard self critic,” Richards said. “I believe that you can always expect more out of people, although I am excited about how things have turned out. I always know that we can do more, I can do more. It’s a great confidence builder to work harder and achieve greater things.”
– eawads@cc.usu.edu