KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The term “captain of the ship” carries a significance that isn’t lost on Jordin Canada.
When UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close first bestowed that title on her as a sophomore, Canada wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. A self-described “quiet kid,” Canada wasn’t confident her voice was loud enough to run the team the way Close wanted.
Now, though, Canada is doing a little bit of everything to make sure the Bruins continue to cruise onward to Columbus, Ohio.
No. 3 seed UCLA (27-7) will get its chance to punch its first ticket to the Final Four at 6:30 tonight (ESPN) when it takes on No. 1 seed Mississippi State (35-1) in the Elite Eight portion of the NCAA tournament’s Kansas City Regional at the Sprint Center.
“I love playing on both ends of the floor, and that’s what I’m all about,” said Canada, a 5-foot-6 senior from Los Angeles.
In January, Canada became the first woman in Pacific-12 Conference history to score 1,800 points and hand out 700 assists (UCLA record). She also is one of 10 semifinalists for the Women’s Naismith Trophy.
MSU’s Victoria Vivians also is a semifinalist.
UCLA senior forward Monique Billings, who joined Canada as a first-team All-Pac 12 Conference pick, said Canada has grown into the role of a leader.
“She has just embraced it,” Billings said. “She knew that that was the task at hand and it was going to be a challenge. She has just worked at it. It wasn’t something that came overnight. It is something she has worked toward.
“She has tried to be the best teammate she can for everybody. She is doing her best every single day. That has gotten her to the point she is today.”
Canada leads UCLA in scoring (16.9 points per game), assists (243), steals (111), 3-pointers (50), and minutes per game (33.6). She has scored 20 or more points in seven of UCLA’s last nine games.
“She is a great teammate, a great leader,” UCLA junior guard Kennedy Burke said. “Not only can she do it on the defensive end, she can drive to the basket and no matter how big you are she will take it to you.”
Canada was a driving force Friday night in an 84-75 victory against No. 2 seed Texas. She had a game-high 22 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in 38 minutes. Her defense played a key role in forcing Texas into 21 turnovers, which the Bruins turned into a 31-13 edge in points off turnovers.
Close praised Canada’s poise against Texas. She said the game was an ideal sign of her maturation because a younger Canada would have taken it upon herself when things weren’t going well. However, she felt Canada did a great job in trying to affect every play, which is something she encourages her to try to do all of the time.
Canada’s stat line against the Longhorns is a perfect example why she eschews traditional labels of “scorer” or “assister.” Instead, Canada prefers to think of herself as an all-around basketball player who affects play on both ends of the floor.
“Now, I love being captain of the ship,” said Canada, who was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and co-Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (with Oregon State’s Marie Gulich) by the media. “I was kind of labeled that my sophomore year and I wasn’t really quite sure how to handle being a leader because at the time it was a hard adjustment for me because I am really quiet and I don’t use my voice a lot.
“My teammates said, ‘You have to talk. You are the point guard of our team. You lead our team and you run our offense and you are the start of our energy on defense and we need you to use your voice.’ From there on out, I was like, ‘OK, I have to step outside of my comfort zone. I have to be able to follow what my teammates need.
Canada said she has been trying to build on that ever since her sophomore year. She said assistant coach Shannon Perry has really helped her become a better leader. Canada said she has taken leadership training classes Perry has taken and has followed her advice to lead the team in her way.
“I think now I am so confident in that, and I am trying to get better each practice and every game,” Canada said. “I think (it has been) me wanting to learn how to use my voice and be louder and to lead by example and use my enthusiasm to help my teammates.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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