Feb. 20, 2014
By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two years ago when Dara Taylor stepped on the Penn State campus after transferring from the University of Maryland as a pass-first point guard.
Earlier this season she was still a pass-first point guard. Her coaches had to constantly get on her to be more of a shooter and more aggressive. Even to the point where Taylor had to do push-ups and spend time on an exercise bike as punishment.
"When she passes up shots, I get on her about passing up shots," head coach Coquese Washington said. "If you make them or miss them it doesn't matter. You have to take them. She's a good enough shooter.
"I used to yell at her for passing up shots and if she passed up enough of them I would make her ride the bike or do some push ups or something and said `if you don't want to shoot then we'll wear out your arms another way.' She'd rather shoot than ride the bike."
Taylor has made that clear over the second half of Big Ten play as she has scored 10 or more points in her last seven games dating back to Jan. 26. Washington credits Taylor's recent aggressiveness and consistency to her understanding of what the team needs.
The senior guard took that to heart and has since been much improved offensively and has seen the team be better off for it as well. A unique bond between Washington and her point guard has allowed Taylor to excel over the past season.
That bond is that they both are point guards and have the mindset of point guard, which Taylor says is the bulk of the reason why her mentality has changed and her play has improved.
"She [Coquese] was a point guard herself so from stepping on campus to now the growth I've had rests a lot on her shoulders," Taylor said. "She's constantly telling me what to look for and the reads to make and I think I've grown in that department based off of her."
Being able to interact with her head coach and ask for advice and criticisms has made Taylor more open to shooting because she now believes is it what her team needs.
"Down the stretch with the games remaining if Coquese needs me to shoot more, score more and be aggressive that's what I have to do for the team," she said. "With coach and my teammates putting that confidence in me I really don't mind taking those shots if that's what the team needs me to do. I'm fine with that."
Washington has commended Taylor's ability to make that change and embrace the role. With three regular season games and postseason play remaining in her Lady Lion career, Taylor has blossomed into the guard Washington wanted her to be when she first arrived on campus.
The key to that, in Washington's eyes, is that she is her own type of point guard. Not a mirror image of previous Lady Lion point guard Alex Bentley, but her own brand with her own type of contributions to the team.
"She's really grown into understanding how to be a point guard here at Penn State and what we want her to do is just play and lead the team," Washington said. "She's done it in a way that is authentic and comfortable for her.
"We still wanted to be an up tempo team and expect the point guard to be the leader of the team and the voice of the team and she has embraced all of those and done a fantastic job of being a leader on the court."
Taylor will have another chance to avoid push-ups or the exercise bike as Penn State faces Northwestern Thursday at 7 p.m. where her coach will be looking for her to, as always, shoot the ball.