University of Massachusets Athletics
Former Ursuline Star Finds Comfort As UMass' Leader
December 17, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2006
AMHERST, Mass. -- She is her team's go-to player down low and a forbidding presence on the defensive end, but for Kate Mills, it wasn't long ago that simply getting to start a game for the University of Massachusetts women's basketball team ranked as a monumental achievement.
It took nearly two full seasons for Mills, the 2003-04 Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year at Ursuline Academy, to earn a full-time starting job for the Minutewomen, but she has since made the most of her opportunity.
Mills, a 6-foot-1 power forward from Elkton, Md., and UMass (9-2) will play host to Delaware (8-1) today at 2 p.m.
Mills' dominance on both ends of the court -- a team-leading 16.3 points a game while shooting 60 percent from the field, plus 6.9 rebounds a game -- has led UMass, a member of the Atlantic 10, to its strong start.
"It's her size, strength, hands, her understanding of the game -- the ability to shoot a baby hook shot and her shooting touch on the perimeter," said UMass coach Marnie Dacko.
During her first two years at UMass, such praise for Mills simply would not have been heard. Many high school standouts face a difficult transition to collegiate basketball, even those like Mills, who led her team to state championships while being named an honorable mention All-American. But Mills' assimilation was complicated by a lack of conditioning -- and confidence.
"Coming out of high school, I knew that the college level of basketball was much higher, so I wasn't expecting to gain a starting role right away," Mills said. "I did not, however, realize how much more of a fast-paced and physical game it was in college, so I came in out of shape and I needed a lot of work."
"She needed to get in better shape," Dacko said. "She could go hard for about four minutes and just die."
Mills began to emerge as a standout after her freshman season, when she averaged 6 points a game. She stayed in Amherst the following summer, working with UMass' strength coach, losing weight and getting into "incredible" shape, according to Dacko.
Good things began to happen for Mills. Her sophomore numbers (12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds a game) illustrated her improvement, and she hit a team-leading 54 percent of her shots as she eventually earned a starting job.
Mills has started this season like a player possessed. From a 19-point, 13-rebound effort in UMass' opening win over Vermont to gaining MVP honors at last month's Aeropostale Seton Hall Classic, Mills has been consistently superlative. With her comfort level expanding, she has begun to win her internal battle of nerves.
"My first two years playing at UMass, I was always nervous coming into the games." Mills said. "But I feel like this year I have really been comfortable and relaxed. I don't feel panicked on the court."
Delaware coach Tina Martin has been impressed with Mills' growth. She didn't offer Mills a scholarship because the Blue Hens had their fill of forwards.
"She's turned herself into a very good player for them," Martin said. "We have a lot of respect for her."
"She has matured both on and off the basketball court," Dacko said. "Her communication skills are improving as her confidence grows, and so far this year she has carried this team on her back. She means everything to this team."