Maria Gakdeng looks to bring increased confidence, versatility to UNC's squad

Senior center Maria Gakdeng is confident. 

In her vlogs, she's positive. She's boisterous. She yields her iPad with ease as she documents off-court life and teammate interactions. 

Even after a loss to South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, Gakdeng still posted. She still had confidence. 

And no one who has watched her Youtube vlogs can deny that. 

But her confidence didn't always come through on the court last season. She experienced several games where she scored fewer than five points. So, when Gakdeng sat down with the coaching staff in March to discuss goals for her role this season, they told her she needs to speak up on the court and ask for the ball. Translating her off-court personality to the court became her main focus.

“Last season, there were some slumps I feel like I had,” Gakdeng said. “So, especially when things aren't going my way, still having that confidence and keep taking those shots instead of shying away from opportunities.”

The team uses a buddy system to prepare young players to start in the future, and Gakdeng was paired with first-year center Blanca Thomas in the frontcourt. 

Taking on Thomas as a protege has helped develop her leadership voice on the court. 

“She's just very quick to tell me, ‘Hey, this is what you need to do,’” Thomas said. “And that's exactly what I was looking for because she has those four years of experience.”

And Thomas' 6-foot-5 frame makes for a great obstacle under the basket for Gakdeng, who focused on her ability to finish through contact this summer. She didn't shy away from aggressive defense last season, leading the team with 51 blocks. But she had a tendency to avoid contact on offense, which made her a target for blocks on that end of the floor.

Although Gakdeng said she doesn't usually use her confidence to trash talk, she might take a moment to wag a finger at an opponent. 

Head coach Courtney Banghart has touted UNC's improved offensive spacing coming into the season. Gakdeng felt that she spent too much time camping in the low post last season, which clogged up the lane. With the hope of adding some fluidity into her game, she worked all summer with assistant coach Adrian Walters to develop a midrange jump shot. 

Graduate forward Alyssa Ustby, who is will start in the frontcourt with Gakdeng, says that the jumper can help draw defenders out of the paint. 

“Where it helps me specifically is when I get the ball in the low post and I'm doing a move,” Ustby said. “Maria can float around in the 15-foot area, and if her girl helps, then I'm passing to [Gakdeng], and she can shoot and knock down the shot. Or if her girl now doesn't help any more, then I have one-on-one coverage.”

And Gakdeng has also gotten better in the low post since that meeting in March. 

So good, in fact, that Banghart brushed the midrange shot aside and focused on her finishing around the rim.  

“She's got better touch for sure, but I want her at the rim,” Banghart said. “She's just so hard to guard now.” 

Gakdeng could have left after last year. She could have transferred, or maybe declared for the WNBA Draft. But with her improvements, the center is a strong anchor on defense and a confident finisher on offense. 

“I loved my experience here,” Gakdeng said.  “And I knew that staying another year would help me improve to go to the WNBA, so that's the goal after this season.”

@BeckettBrant

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com