Sports: Women's Basketball

Defensive specialist Gant shines in crunch time

Junior guard’s ability to stop top opponents leads to starting spot

In sports, one of the most important assets an athlete can have is the ability to stay calm in tense situations. Being able to focus and perform well in pressurized situations is something every athlete wishes they had.

For the University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team, that quality is even more important given that most of the team’s games are close the entire way. Luckily for the Badgers, they have a player that fits this mold perfectly: junior guard Teah Gant.

Gant has been one of the major reasons why the Badgers, despite their recent struggles, have performed above expectations this year. Coming out of Oswego High School in Oswego, Ill., Gant was one of the top recruits in the area. She was a 2006 McDonald’s All-America nominee and was named the Suburban Prairie Conference Player of the Year her senior year. She played only sparingly in her first two years at Wisconsin, but her transition to a starting role this year has been seamless. With many of their games coming down to the final minutes, Gant’s calming ability has been especially important for the Badgers.

“She’s the calming factor on the floor,” Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone said. “She doesn’t get rattled and is very under control. She doesn’t try to do things outside of her abilities, and she plays within herself and makes very good decisions.”

Sophomore guard Alyssa Karel agrees with that assessment and also realizes the importance of having a late-game leader.

“It’s a kind of a joke, but we all say that Teah has no emotion and is just kind of a laid-back person,” Karel said. “But I think that when that translates onto the basketball court, it can be really powerful. When it’s a tight game and there is a really tense situation, we all look to Teah and she’s the calming factor. She never gets too rattled, you can always look to her to be pretty solid. She’s a good leader when it comes to those kinds of situations.”

Throughout her career, Gant has thrived because of her defensive prowess and this year is routinely matched up against the opponent’s best offensive player. For a team that scores fewer than 60 points per game, defense is also a vital part of the Badgers’ success and Gant is the anchor to that defense.

“In terms of defense, her length is one of her greatest assets,” Karel said. “She moves laterally so well, and she’s so quick. She’s also very smart on the court. She knows situations and knows how to defend them the right way.”

“I think the key to good defense is being able to move your feet well, reading your opponent’s moves and then being there before they actually get to the basket,” Gant said.

Although Gant is known for her defense, her offense has improved dramatically this year. She is averaging 6.4 points and scored a career-high 17 points in a win against Minnesota earlier this year.

“She’s spent some time working on her shot, and she’s more confident in shooting the ball outside,” Stone said. “She could always get to the basket in the past, but she’s finishing when she didn’t before. She is more of a complete player this year. She’s not just known as a defensive player, but also as an offensive player as well. She handles the ball really well and makes good decisions.”

Despite her new starting role, Gant has stuck to the basics that have led to her current success.

“I think my game is very simple,” Gant said. “This year I’ve definitely tried to be more aggressive on the offensive end and look for my shot more, but I just take what’s given to me and try not to force things. Defensively, I work hard on every possession and focus on not letting my man score and helping my teammates whenever they need it.”