GIMME MOORE

Not only has UConn women's basketball benefited from Maya Moore's presence on the court, but women's basketball on the whole may also be redefined by her.

At least that is what several head coaches in the NCAA said after they faced her in the past year.

Moore has already done enough to get the attention of the national media. She blew the UConn all-time freshman scoring record out of the water in early March and broke the Big East freshman scoring record against Old Dominion. She made conference history after being named both the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the Big East, becoming the first player to ever do so.

She was named first team All-American, only the second freshman in women's NCAA basketball history to do so. She was the Greensboro Regional Most Outstanding Player and in early April, she was named to the Wooden All-American team.

Sports Illustrated predicted that she will become the leader for the Huskies and guide them back to the Final Four next season, with several key freshmen joining the roster.

Still, some feel that there is even more that Moore can do in the future.

"When I think about Moore, I think of the word 'yikes,'" said Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry. "She's going to do so many things that are just going to open doors for women's basketball and really grow our name."

After that game, in which Moore scored 25 points and in so doing broke the single-season freshman scoring conference record, Larry reiterated her thoughts about the talent and potential of Moore.

"When you think of some of the great players in the women's game - players who have taken our game to the next level - I think when that's all said and done, Maya Moore will be one of those because she's so transitional inside and out," Larry said. "She now has that 3-point jump shot down pat. Not only does she have size and athleticism, she has an arsenal of weapons.

"She can take you off the bounce, she can go right, she can go left, she can block and she can score from the top. I've used this analogy before, but certainly Cheryl Miller in her day is very similar to what Maya Moore in this generation of players will do for the games. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg."

Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer had similar things to say about a player who she said is "phenomenal."

"You don't speak of them [Tennessee's Candace Parker and Moore] as this year," she said. "You speak of these young ladies as what they do for the decade, the next five years, 10 years; they are not one-year players. She's [Moore's] going to make things interesting for the rest of the country and for women's basketball."

Since the beginning of the season, even Moore's teammates have praised her abilities and hard work.

"I can't say enough good things about Maya," said Mel Thomas, who will graduate next month. "She's such a great player and she's a great teammate, too, and she has such a great work ethic. You're just going to have to watch out for her."

Starting off her freshman year, it was clear that Moore was making an impact on the court and an impression with opposing coaches. At that time, she was a reserve who played around 20 minutes a game.

"We always like playing UConn early in the year," said the 2007 U.S. Pan-American team's head coach Bill Gibbons, who also coaches Holy Cross. "This year I wish we had played them before Maya Moore got here."

Now, Moore has turned into the go-to player that the Huskies count on in a jam.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said during the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament that the team has gotten to the point that when Moore does not score, he and the players are disappointed because they never expect her to miss a shot. But he also said that he hopes the game is not just about one player.

Ever so humble, Moore does not try to make comparisons between her and the greats that have played the game of basketball both professionally and at UConn. Instead, she credits other players on the court with her successes.

"It's a great compliment [to be named an All-American]," Moore said. "I attribute it to my teammates, for letting me take the role that I have on this team. They've helped me be the player that I am."

Contact Brittany Perotti

at Brittany.Perotti@UConn.edu.