Without a big presence in the post, it’s hard to defend or to run – and when this season started, the Liberty wasn’t doing much of either. But with young center Ann Wauters steadily blossoming into a player worthy of the top overall pick, the Liberty are beginning to look like a dangerous team.
“You can’t run unless you rebound the ball. That’s a lesson we learned early. We hammer that every single day,” said coach Pat Coyle.
The Libs came into last night’s tilt with San Antonio looking for a three-game winning streak, and their fourth straight victory at the Garden. It’s no coincidence that their first back-to-back victories of the season coincided with consecutive double-doubles from the 24-year-old Wauters.
“I’m starting to feel more comfortable each game, knowing what the plays are, what kind of position I have to take to make a strong post move. And I have great people around me,” Wauters said. “I came in the league really young, so I knew I had to grow and get stronger.”
Wauters came into the WNBA as a skinny 19-year-old in 2000 – albeit the No. 1 overall pick for the now-defunct Rockers – and is developing into a force, averaging 13.3 points on 51.4 percent shooting and seven rebounds.
The Belgian played three seasons for Cleveland under Dan Hughes, but also moonlit in France. She played year-round for three seasons until it finally took its toll. She sat out the entire 2003 WNBA season to let her fatigued body recoup, and switched to the shorter-season Russian league.
When Cleveland disbanded a year later, the Liberty made Wauters the fourth overall pick in the dispersal draft. And after a stress fracture limited her to just 13 games last season, Hughes – now coaching San Antonio – could only watch his protege’s breakout season from the other side of the court.
With career averages of 8.5 points and 4.4 boards, Wauters followed a 12-point, 11-rebound outing in a win over Detroit with a career-high 19 points and 10 boards in Saturday’s victory over Phoenix. Coyle believes that Wauters – who dunks regularly in practice – can become a marquee franchise talent.
“When Ann throws one down, you’ll see more of the hype you’re talking about. She’s capable [of being a star],” Coyle said. “She’s thrown them down in practice. Hey Ann, anytime you feel like you want to throw one down in a game, feel free. If it’s on ESPN, even better.”