TCU women’s hopes of Elite Eight and beyond might rest on these two players
Much of TCU women’s basketball’s hopes to advance to the Elite Eight and beyond will rely on the play of star transfers Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez in the Sacramento regional.
But for the No. 3-seeded Horned Frogs to reach their ceiling, starting with beating No. 10 seed Virginia at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, they will need consistency from their two X-factors, junior guard Donovyn Hunter and sophomore center Clara Silva.
Silva was one of the heroes from TCU’s come-from-behind 62-59 overtime win over Washington in the second round Sunday with 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
That marked the most points she’s scored since she had 21 in TCU’s blowout of Jacksonville on Dec. 14, and it was her second straight double-digit scoring game after Silva notched 13 in TCU’s first-round win over UC San Diego.
Clara Silva’s development
The 6-foot-7 Silva was brought in from Kentucky to replace All-Big 12 center Sedona Prince, and while she’s been an elite rim protector, her offense has been a work in progress. TCU coach Mark Campbell had said previously that Silva is just now realizing how good she can be, and the performances during the first weekend could be what fully unlocks Silva in the Sweet 16.
“This season we’ve been investing in her growth, her development, allowing her to play through mistakes and figure this out,” Campbell said Tuesday. “She delivered in a big-time game. She was huge defensively in the fourth quarter. You can just see her blossoming. We need her. ... She’s just scratching the surfance of how good she’s gonna become over the rest of her college career.”
A bigger role and development was a big reason Silva chose TCU over a host of suitors in the transfer portal. Campbell and Silva’s teammates pouring praise toward her has provided a tremendous boost to her confidence.
“It means the world knowing my team trusts me and my coaching staff trusts me,” Silva said. “I think I’ve grown a lot. Mark has been such an amazing coach. Just the way he coaches me, I’m really thankful I get to be a part of this journey. I think the most important thing has been having that belief in me.”
Donovyn Hunter ‘backbone’ of TCU program
As for Hunter, the Big 12 All-Defensive guard has been elite as always on the defensive end but will have her hands full with Virginia guard Kymora Johnson, who scored 28 points in each of the first two rounds of the tournament.
Hunter’s main goal will be shutting down Johnson, but TCU’s chances of advancing will also increase substantially if she can return to the offensive form she had earlier in the season.
“Donovyn Hunter’s our backbone of our whole program,” Campbell said. “She’s one of the most humble, hardworking and selfless players I’ve ever coached. She’s the ultimate competitor and winner. Dono allowed Hailey Van Lith to be Hailey Van Lith a year ago, and Dono has allowed Olivia to be Olivia Miles. She is what makes the whole thing work.”
Hunter is averaging 10.6 points per game, but hasn’t scored in double digits since she scored 16 points in a win over Cincinnati on Feb. 25. Hunter had just two points against Washington and was held scoreless in TCU’s Big 12 Tournament final loss to West Virginia on March 8 in Kansas City.
Senior wing Taylor Bigby has helped pick up some of the scoring load with her breakout run, but to make the Final Four, TCU will need both guards knocking down shots to alleviate the pressure that is sure to come on Miles.
It’s tough to endure a slump, especially in March Madness, but Hunter said Campbell has helped her navigate it with his approach of positive reinforcement.
“Not just to me but all of us, he just tells us to keep shooting,” Hunter said. “I have teammares around me that just continue to say, ‘be confident.’ So I think those positive words of affirmation [help] just keeping your head up. He knows all the work that all of us put in.”
With Silva, TCU has a game-changing big who can block and alter shots at the rim while also being skilled in the post offensively. She’s also the ideal big to pair with the playmaking Miles; there aren’t many teams in the country have a 6-7 center who’s as fluid as Silva.
Hunter is one of the best defensive guards in the country, and when she’s on offensively, she can be a knockdown shooter and secondary ball handler.
TCU mostly knows what it’s going to get from Miles and Suarez on any given night, but Hunter and Silva could ultimately be the difference in the Horned Frogs’ quest for the Final Four.
