Saturday night's much-anticipated contest in Cameron Indoor Stadium between No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Connecticut not only features the top two teams in the nation, it also pits the game's two best players--juniors Alana Beard and Diana Taurasi--against each other for the first time in college.
At the start of the season--with Duke coming off its second-ever Final Four appearance and Connecticut winning an NCAA title--the pressure was on the two preseason All-American shooting guards to guide their young but talented teams to the 2003 championship.
So far, neither has disappointed.
Beard and Taurasi both lead their teams in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and minutes per game.
"She's a great player," Beard said of Taurasi. "She can pass, she can shoot the three and she can post up. She can do pretty much everything."
The two superstars have also done what all great players do--they have come through for their teams with the game on the line.
Beard led the Blue Devils to a 60-59 win over ACC-foe Virginia earlier this month with a career-high 41 points. Her two clutch free throws with eight-tenths of a second left in the game sealed the victory.
"[Beard] is everything everybody says she is," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said after the game. "She's in a league by herself in comparison with players across the country."
For her part, Taurasi kept the Huskies alive Jan. 4 against perennial powerhouse Tennessee by knocking down a contested three pointer at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime, where she eventually made the winning basket.
After the victory against the Lady Vols, Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma had nothing but praise for his captain.
"Games like this are when great players make plays," Auriemma said. "And we have the best player in the country."
Auriemma's favoritism aside, there has already been considerable debate about which of the two leading candidates for national player of the year is actually the best, and Saturday night's matchup should help to shed some light on the issue.
Offensively, both Beard and Taurasi can penetrate, shoot from long range, post up inside and effectively find their open teammates when double-teamed. Beard has the edge in scoring (23.5 to 17.8 points per game), while her counterpart has averaged more assists (5.1 to 3.8).
It may be a draw between the All-Americans on offense, but Beard would seem to have the edge on the defensive end. The Duke star is known for her long arms and ultra-quick hands, which have helped her collect 64 steals and 22 blocked shots already this year. Consequently, she is also a strong favorite for defensive player of the year honors.
Although they have never competed against each other in college, Beard and Taurasi are hardly strangers. The two were roommates when they played under Auriemma on the 2000 and 2001 USA Basketball Junior World Championship teams.
"We became really close living and playing together," Beard said. "We really got to know each others' games and personalities."
The duo will be reacquainted Saturday night in front of a national television audience, where each will have a chance to ruin the other's undefeated season.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.