UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Karisma Ortiz loves to win. That has always been her focus, both at Penn State in her freshman season, and back to high school when she led her team to a 29-1 record her senior year.
By the way, that high school team was ranked No. 1 in the nation according to USA Today.
You can see it in her laser-like focus in interviews, and her work every day before practice with her position coach Geoff Lanier. Ortiz is more mature than most college freshmen, and she is ready to win at Penn State.
"She has a love for the game and she's a big time competitor," head coach Coquese Washington said. "When she steps out on the court she's bringing that competitiveness, she's bringing that vocal energy and she's somebody who talks the whole time she's on the court."
The numbers haven't always been there for Ortiz as a freshman. She averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists her senior year in high school and has shown flashes of her potential as a Lady Lion, but she admits it has taken quite some time to find confidence in her game against other college athletes.
Her jump shot recently started to fall, and she tied a career-high with 12 points on the road against Northwestern.
"The last few games I've kind of just been feeling good," Ortiz said. "I've been shooting the ball a lot better and I think that has to do with my confidence level and that attacking mentality and distributing. Getting career highs and things like that have just come from my confidence level and communicating with the team and being a leader."
That last word — leader — is one Ortiz touches on often. Prior to the first game of the season, when freshmen are really still getting acclimated to college, both in school and sports, Ortiz was asked what she felt her biggest strength is and what she can bring to the team as a freshman.
"I think leadership is something I can bring to the team right away," Ortiz said. "I always worked on that in high school and that's just who I am as a person, almost like an energy giver I would say. I also think as a point guard I'm pretty unselfish and I hope to bring that aspect into this year's team."
On a team with five seniors, the true freshman was ready to lead.
Things haven't always gone Ortiz's way during her freshman season. Her struggles to shoot have proved frustrating but the game has started to slow down.
Her turnovers have dropped and without Teniya Page against Purdue, Ortiz was as vocal as she has been all season. Fellow freshman Lauren Ebo had a great defensive possession eventually forcing a shot clock violation and Ortiz sprinted across the court ball in-hand to give Ebo a high five.
"When you talk about leadership on the basketball court, the biggest area you start with is being vocal and talking and communicating and making sure everybody is on the same page. She does that quite naturally," Washington said.
Ortiz's role on the court is also perhaps abnormal. She is often the second tallest player on the floor for the Lady Lions at six feet, but she is a ball handler and distributor. Her responsibilities as both a rebounder and facilitator do not always go hand-in-hand for most basketball players. Her versatility was a big reason Washington slid her into the starting lineup to keep the guard-heavy team running and controlling the tempo while helping the forwards on the glass.
"She's embraced being versatile and she's embraced being moved around, and because of that she's been able to be effective," Washington said.
With three regular season games remaining for the Lady Lions, Ortiz does not have any personal goals in mind. Coming off perhaps the team's best all-around performance of the season against Purdue, there is optimism that the Lady Lions can close the season strong.
Ortiz is just a freshman and she has a long career ahead of her at Penn State. But she only wants to achieve one thing.
Win.
