Maybe it's the stare. Maybe its the way she carries herself. Or maybe its the attitude she brings to the court.
But there's no doubt among Monique Currie's teammates of one thing-she's intimidating.
"I'm not the type of player to always be intimidated by someone," junior Lindsey Harding said. "But if I was intimidated by somebody, it would probably by Monique because when she gets mad on the court-and she gets mad-her face is just like 'whoa.' You don't want to make her mad."
Last year's defending ACC Player of the Year, Currie takes her teammates' swipes in stride, but knows that her fearsome demeanor is just part of her game.
"I wouldn't say I'm the most outgoing person there is," Currie said. "So, I keep to myself a lot. So, it could come across as being intimidating."
Although several players recounted unnerving experiences when they first met Currie, once they got to know her better each described her as competitive but more importantly as a great teammate.
As Currie has grown older, she has become more outgoing with her teammates.
"I'm a lot closer with the team this year than I have been in the past," she said. "Especially with the freshmen, I think I used to distance myself a little bit, I mean not altogether, but I've really made an extra effort to get to know everyone on the team this year."
Currie is not afraid to joke about her demeanor with her teammates either. During the team's annual media day Oct. 23, she was sitting behind freshman Brittany Mitch. Currie reached over with one hand, shook the freshman and asked, "I'm not intimidating, right?"
Mitch's response: "Not at all."
But the aggressive attitude she carries with her is magnified once she steps on the court. Since her collegiate debut in 2001-2002, opponents nationwide have gotten to know her, and she has certainly lived up to her reputation. In her freshman year, she was named the ACC Tournament MVP as well as second-team All-ACC. While opponents have since become accustomed to Currie's style of play, they have not slowed her down.
"I think it's definitely my demeanor on the court," Currie said. "I try to bring it as a part of my game. It just helps me to be more focused on the court and more aggressive-. I bring a fire, and I'm intense in everything I do. Just the desire to win, I don't know, it rubs off on people sometimes."
Freshman Abby Waner witnessed that passion firsthand during preseason practices. One of the first times she attempted to guard Currie during a scrimmage, the senior scored seven straight points-all with Waner feebly trying to defend the six-foot forward.
When Goestenkors was recruiting Currie, the future Blue Devil ran off a long string of points, prompting the then-high schooler to yell, "Guard me!" at her defender. The coach knew then that Currie was a special player.
"There's a mental and physical toughness about her and I think it rubs off on all of her teammates," Goestenkors said. "Even as a high school player, you could see that within her."
Currie returned to Duke for a fifth year rather than opting for the WNBA draft because she wanted to try one last time for a National Championship. Currie, who sat out the 2002-2003 season with a medical redshirt, is currently working on her graduate degree in humanities.
The preseason ACC Player of the Year believes that the Blue Devils have all the pieces necessary to win the school's first NCAA title in women's basketball. Currie said building stronger relationships with the team and coaches and growing as a player and person are what lead her to believe her decision to remain at Duke was the right one-even if the Blue Devils fall short of their national title hopes.
"Everything has to fall in place perfectly for you to win a National Championship," Currie said. "I won't say that if we don't win a National Championship it's a waste of my time, or a waste of this team's effort."
As only the third Blue Devil ever to register over 1,500 points, 650 rebounds and 300 assists in a career, the team is certainly happy to have her back.
"I've always loved Mo's attitude on the court," head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "She's going to do whatever it takes to win. She's a warrior. She's one of those players that when you are in a battle, you want her on your team because you know she's going to do what's necessary to win."
Currie is certainly not going to argue.
"I love to win," she said. "I hate to lose. I carry that over in everything I do."
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