The foursome dispersed, but can’t forget their roots. Dani Carnegie, Kara Dunn, Tonie Morgan, and Chit-Chat Wright represent different teams – Carnegie at Georgia, Dunn at USC, Morgan at Kentucky, and Wright at Iowa. Before splitting up to different conferences across the country, the four guards all played together last season in the ACC with Georgia Tech, helping the Yellow Jackets in a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa head coach Jan Jensen, avid film watcher as she is, knows this fact, but also recalled the minutes distribution. Carnegie, Dunn, and Morgan were routine starters while Wright came off the bench. After Georgia Tech’s head coach retired, Wright transferred to Iowa and started every game she played.
No longer the fourth option, Wright has the green light from Jensen and the coaching staff, but will sometimes revert to a more passive role. In Jensen’s eyes that lack of aggression reared its head in Iowa’s first round win over Fairleigh Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament.
Judging by the box score, Wright made a sizable contribution, finishing second on the Hawkeyes with eight shots. In her tournament debut last season, she took seven. For Jensen, Wright has too much experience, gained too much confidence, not to “pull the trigger,” especially on plays drawn for her.
“That was a big problem for us,” Jensen said. “I need her to take a lot more authority and get to the rim.”
When asked postgame how she would account for Iowa’s two single-digit scoring quarters, Jensen pointed to her point guard, not to accuse, but to explain her potential in the Iowa offense.
“I need you to really take the keys and go,” Jensen said of Wright. “And you need to consider yourself the second option every time. When she’s able to do that, flip it over, we’re really a much better team.”
Indeed, the last time Iowa scored at least 85 points in a game, Wright tallied 20 points, taking 11 shots, eight of which came from beyond the arc. Wright’s teammates know her shooting skills – 43 percent from the floor, 44 percent from distance.
“There’s some shot that she doesn’t take that we want her to be taking,” senior Kylie Feuerbach said. “We emphasize on that every time she can get a shot up.”
Wright is well aware of Jensen’s wishes, but clarified there’s some nuances. Ava Heiden is Iowa’s primary scorer, and when she’s in a rhythm, Wright feels obligated to pass. Same for when she comes off a screen and is guarded by a taller defender.
“I’ve kind of got to meet in the middle,” Wright said.
Fellow second-year guard Taylor Stremlow knows the feeling. Finding the perfect play on the court isn’t an exact science, but rather a process of possessions.
“You definitely want to execute and make the best play,” Stremlow said. “We have such a good team, and we’re all close, and we know no one’s trying to be selfish, no one’s trying to do too much.”
Making plays will be top priority for Iowa’s guards in the second round of the tournament against 10th-seeded Virginia. The Cavaliers mainly employ a zone defense, which will open up the perimeter, granting Wright, Stremlow, and others the opportunity to pull the trigger with confidence.
“We’re definitely gonna have to step up, knock down some shots,” Stremlow said. “I think we’re excited for the opportunity to show what we can do.”