For the last three years, Alison Bales has stood out on the basketball court. Her height-all 6-foot-7 inches-and the shot-blocking abilities she has honed to take advantage of it have drawn attention and acclaim during her career at Duke.
This season, though, the senior captain aims to stand out because of what she can do on the other end of the court.
"So far my career has been mostly defensive," Bales said. "Offensively, this year, I'll be even more important so I want to make sure that's my focus. My defense is already very reliable so I want to make sure that my offensive game matches up."
Bales showed the potential to be a force on both ends of the court in last season's NCAA Tournament, when she averaged 13.5 points, nine rebounds and five blocks per game in Duke's run to the Final Four. Along the way, she was named Most Outstanding Player of the Bridgeport Regional following a 15-point, 13-rebound, eight-block performance against Connecticut in the Regional Final.
"In the Tournament, I proved to [head coach Gail Goestenkors] and to my teammates and myself that I can do that against the best competition," Bales said. "Personally, it does help my confidence to know that's how I can play on a regular basis. But more than that, it just makes me want to work even harder to prove that you deserve to be there."
With the departures of Monique Currie and Mistie Williams-Duke's two leading scorers from last season-Bales knows the team is counting on her to become an even bigger presence down low.
"Alison Bales needs to shoot a minimum of 10 shots a game, every game," Goestenkors said. "Ali looks very good. She's playing the way now she played at the end of the season and the Tournament last year, which is important for us. She's going to be a go-to player for us."
The center worked extensively over the summer with assistant coach Shannon Perry on new post moves. Goestenkors has even begun integrating some sets from the U.S. Senior Women's National Team to exploit Bales' size advantage.
Bales has also improved on her 15-foot jump shot, which enables the Blue Devils to run a high-low offense with Bales up top and junior Chante Black on the low block.
More than just points, however, Bales is expected to become a more vocal leader on the court. One of two senior captains along with Lindsey Harding, Bales said one of the hardest parts of her new role is being tough on her teammates.
"We have to talk to our teammates a lot, but not just when we're cheering them on," Bales said. "We've talked about how we all have to be brutally honest with each other and that's the kind of relationship we have. We all trust each other and know that we want the best for each other."
If all goes according to plan, Bales hopes to look even taller in April-standing on a ladder to cut the nets down in Cleveland.
"That's a large responsibility, knowing that you are a go-to person, knowing that you need to play at a certain level every day to help your team be successful," Goestenkors said. "But it's something that she's worked all her life to have. She's always been a little bit in the shadows, and now it's really her time to shine."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.