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OUTLOOK Eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla Liberty is scheduled to play four 2008 NCAA of the necessary skills and has worked very extract, when consumed by themselves, are not Tournament participants and four of last hard at refining those skills. She will be a major very tasty foods. However, when combined in season’s WNIT squads. Those numbers could contributor this season.” the correct proportions, these elements serve as grow, depending on the Lady Flames’ A pair of newcomers, junior college transfer vital ingredients in baking a delicious cake. This performances in the Preseason WNIT, GW Amber Mays and incoming freshman DeAnna unlikely, but effective recipe is tried and true. Thanksgiving Classic and Hokie Hardwood Fuqua, also figure into the equation at point Similarly, 10th-year Liberty head women’s Classic. guard. basketball coach Carey Green notices an “Without question, this season’s challenges Mays, who stands 5-6, enters her junior interesting blend of personnel on his 2008-09 are unique,” stated Green. “However, this team season after a garnering a pair of honorable Lady Flames roster. His team possesses both a is also unique and capable of meeting those mention NJCAA All-America selections during wealth of experience, in the form of six seniors, challenges.” her two years at State Fair Community College. and an abundance of new faces and A position-by-position team preview follows. She is perhaps best known for defense, uncertainty, as Liberty’s lineup features seven averaging more than three steals per contest newcomers. In fact, the makeup of this year’s Point Guard during each of her seasons at State Fair. squad is similar to that of the 2004-05 Lady For the first time since the 2003-04 campaign, “Amber will be the most explosive, exciting Flames, who advanced to the “Sweet 16” of the Allyson Fasnacht will not figure into the Lady new personality on the court for us this season,” NCAA Tournament. Flames’ plans at the point guard spot. She Green observed. “She loves to play defense. The 2004-05 Liberty women’s basketball team completed her eligibility last season, after Amber will be counted on to provide high was spearheaded by a five-member senior class starting 95 games during her four years at energy throughout the season, and brings highlighted by current WNBA player Katie Liberty. Fasnacht played an integral role on experience with an unsurpassed desire to win.” Feenstra. However, the Lady Flames also three Big South championship-winning teams, Fuqua, a 5-8 guard, comes to the Lady received key contributions from precocious and it will be difficult for any one player to fill her Flames from Nashville, Tenn., and Whites Creek freshmen like Allyson Fasnacht and Courtney shoes. (Interestingly, none of Liberty’s 15 Comprehensive High School. She was a four- Watkins. players on the 2008-09 roster will wear time All-Region IV selection who averaged 15.0 The abilities and merits of this year’s senior Fasnacht’s No. 10 uniform.) ppg, 5.0 rpg, 6.0 apg and 4.0 spg as a high class are unmistakable. Megan Frazee has been Rachel McLeod, a 5-10 sophomore, is one school senior. tabbed the Big South Preseason Player of the of three players who “DeAnna is an explosive guard with a Year for the third time in a row, while sister great shooting touch and exceptional Moriah Frazee is also a Big South Rachel McLeod passing skills,” said Green. “She preseason all-conference handles the ball with authority. selection. Three of this year’s However, her contributions will be seniors already find themselves directly impacted by current injuries.” among Liberty’s top 40 scorers in program history and four seniors Shooting Guard are listed within the Lady Flames’ Whereas the Lady Flames are a all-time top 50 rebounders. bit inexperienced at point guard, with In order for the six seniors to a sophomore and two newcomers close out their time at Liberty with running the show, the team is much their best season, though, they will more experienced at the shooting need to follow the same recipe guard spot. which worked for the 2004-05 Lady Liberty has a pair of senior Flames and find the proper mixture of shooting guards in Rachel seasoned experience and youthful Hammond and Alexandria Bream, exuberance. Green is excited about a luxury which will help offset the the ingredients at his disposal, as graduation of Courtney Watkins. Liberty aims to defend its Big South The Big South’s all-time games played leader Conference title and return to the figures to see with 127 contests, Watkins was a second-team NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in playing time at the floor general spot All-Big South honoree during a breakout senior the last 13 seasons. this season. She not only had the opportunity to campaign, which saw her average 8.6 points “Enthusiasm best describes the atmosphere learn under Fasnacht’s tutelage a year ago, but per outing. regarding this year’s team,” noted Green, the also made some immediate contributions in key The 5-9 Hammond looks for a similar 2008 Big South Coach of the Year. “Our team situations. breakthrough during her fourth and final season possesses a unique blend of skills, talents and In only her second collegiate game, McLeod in a Liberty uniform. A natural scorer, she has experience. The six seniors are especially contributed nine points, five rebounds, three displayed flashes of potential throughout her anxious to defend the Big South championship, assists and four steals in a four-point win at Lady Flame career, including a Big South all- return to the NCAA Tournament and experience North Carolina A&T. Later in the season, tournament team mention as a freshman. advancement into the tournament.” McLeod scored five points in the final 1:28 of a Hammond, a Florida native, has drained 40 Around the conference, Liberty is considered hard-fought Big South road win at High Point. career three-pointers. a heavy favorite to again capture this season’s During the year, the rookie from Houston, Texas “Rachel is one of the most explosive scoring Big South crown. The Lady Flames captured 17 displayed both the ability to protect the guards on our team,” noted Green, who ranks of 19 possible first-place votes in the preseason basketball (66-60 assist-to-turnover ratio) and a 10th among active NCAA Division I women’s coaches and media poll. deft shooting touch (46.3 percent field goal basketball coaches with a .758 career winning Before Liberty begins its newly-expanded 16- shooting). percentage. “She has continued to improve game conference schedule, though, the Lady “Rachel continues to challenge for playing throughout her career and will be counted on as Flames must navigate one of the most daunting time at both the point guard and shooting guard a leader this season. Rachel possesses an non-conference slates in program history. positions,” explained Green. “She possesses all unsurpassed intensity level.” 50 2008-09 Liberty Women’s Basketball OUTLOOK Rachel Hammond year distinction. She is a candidate to redshirt Based upon Green’s below description, some of her freshman season. her attributes already sound familiar to those of “Devon is very talented, but her role on this her position mates. year’s team is currently in question due to “Danika is capable of playing both inside and injury,” noted Green. “She has a tremendous outside, but her primary strength lies at the understanding of the game and will be a major small forward position,” said Green. “She brings contributor when the opportunity is presented.” athleticism and exciting skills to our team.” Small Forward Power Forward/Center Another of Liberty’s six freshmen, 6-1 Danika Liberty has ranked among the top five teams Dale, will be able to look up to two talented, in the nation for rebounding margin for five versatile senior small forwards, Megan Frazee consecutive seasons. The Lady Flames possess and Rebecca Lightfoot. All three players will the size to continue the streak in 2008-09, with likely see time at numerous positions for Green five players listed at 6-3 or taller. Four of them this season. will see action at either power forward or center. Frazee, who stands 6-3, is coming off her The play of senior Moriah Frazee in the post best season. She led the Big South with 18.6 was an invaluable part of Liberty’s success last ppg and ranked second with 9.5 rpg, capturing season, especially with Egle Smigelskaite Big South Player of the Year and Big South injured for most the season and Avery Warley Championship MVP honors. The latter award redshirting. She boosted her scoring average came after Frazee tallied 20 second-half points, more than five points from the previous season, including the game-winning hoop with 0.3 to 13.2 ppg, and lifted her field goal percentage seconds left, in the Big South Championship from .453 to a Big South-leading .581. As a game against Radford. result, Frazee joined her sister Megan on the Frazee presents a myriad of matchup first-team All-Big South roster at season’s end. problems for opponents, as she is strong Green hopes for similar contributions during enough to play under the basket, but still Frazee’s senior campaign. possesses a nice outside shooting touch, as “Moriah was a major anchor in the post last evidenced by her .351 three-point field goal season,” stated Green. “She will be counted Like Hammond, Liberty’s other fourth-year percentage last season.