Cal Women's Basketball: After a 21-Day Break, Bears Take on Utah at Haas Pavilion
A difficult Cal women’s basketball season will resume Friday when the Golden Bears play their first game in 21 days against Utah at Haas Pavilion.
A COVID-19 situation within the Bears’ program caused the team’s past five games to be postponed. Cal has not played since a 75-59 loss at Colorado on Jan. 15.
“Everyone is healthy and right now that’s the most important thing,” Cal coach Charmin Smith says in the video above. “Excited to be back from the COVID pause.”
The Bears (0-11, 0-8 Pac-12), hampered by youth and ravaged by injuries, still are seeking their first victory of the season. Utah may represent one of their best remaining chances — the Utes (4-10, 3-10) reside in 10th place in the Pac-12 and have lost five of their past six games.
“It’s been an extremely challenging season,” Smith conceded. “We’re just really trying to continue to put things in perspective. Kind of celebrate the small successes and the growth we’re having as a team.
“Really, the way the world is right now, if the worst thing is losing basketball games, it’s not that bad, right? We know there’s a brighter future ahead for each individual on this team and for the team collectively.”
Smith said the Bears were limited to non-contact work the first few days after the start of the pause, and only five or six players were available for practice. The full team reassembled for practice last Saturday.
“We practiced really hard. They’re really grateful to be back in the gym with one another. We’ll go after it the best we can on Friday.”
Injuries have deprived the Bears of starting guards Jazlen Green, a returning honorable mention All-Pac-12 sophomore, and freshman Alma Elsnitz, who scored 14 points in her first and only game of the season. Both were declared out for the season on Dec. 2.
Sophomore guard Cailyn Crocker, another potential starter, also was lost for the season due to injury before playing a game.
In their most recent game, Smith started three freshmen and a sophomore, and the three-player bench featured two more freshmen.
Cal has added one additional player since its last game. Freshman guard Mia Mastrov, a mid-year enrollee from Miramonte High in nearby Moraga. Smith said Mastrov is adjusting well in practice and likely will see action against the Utes.
But playing in the competitive Pac-12, the Bears have been overmatched. Only one of their eight conference games was settled by fewer than 16 points.
Still, Smith is gratified that her players haven’t lost hope. “The personalities the attitudes are what has gotten us through,” she said.
The injuries have left Cal struggling to score, in part because they have had just one healthy ball handler — sophomore Leilani McIntosh.
“And our opponents know that," Smith said. "Especially Pac-12 opponents, they’ve really tried to pressure us and make someone other than Leilani handle the ball.”
Freshman Dalayah Daniels, a natural power forward, is having to play on the wing. She leads the team in scoring (12.0) and rebounding (6.8) but her shooting has suffered.
Poor shooting is foremost among the team’s issues. The Bears are converting just 33.5 percent of their shots, which ranks 318th nationally among 336 Division I teams. They are worse yet from the 3-point arc, 334th at 20.1 percent.
And without enough ballhandlers, Cal is 333rd nationally in turnovers, giving the ball away 22.6 times per game. It’s added up to an offense that is producing an average of just 48.2 points, which also checks in a 333rd in the NCAA.
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Cover photo of Cal's Dalayah Daniels by Kayla Lawrence
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
