Adrienne Motley key to post-season success for the Hurricanes

SPORTS_Adrienne Motley
Adrienne Motley

The Hurricanes are looking to have another strong season in 2015-2016. One of the players leading the way for this year’s team is 2014-15 All-ACC junior guard Adrienne Motley. The talented 5-foot-9 player out of Newport News, Virginia had a great season last year, leading the team in points, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. She intends to show exactly how much she’s added to her game over the summer.

“I’ve been working on just trying to get open,” Motley said on Tuesday. “It’s going to be harder this year, so I’m just focusing on getting open, setting up the defenders [and] working on my three-ball. I want to be more efficient every year, so [I’m] just working on efficiency.”

Efficiency has been Motley’s strength ever since she came to Miami. After shooting 44.4 percent from the field as a freshman, she hit 49.2 percent of her shots last season, an impressive feat for a guard at any level. Her high field-goal percentage is aided by the fact that she is an excellent shooter from all over the court, as she was able to knock in an impressive 35.4 percent of her shots from beyond the three-point line last season.

“My mid-range game [is my strength],” Motley said. “And just how good I shoot the ball.”

It isn’t just Motley’s stroke that results in a high-field goal percentage. In fact, much of it comes from the fact that she takes smart shots. Motley has a high basketball IQ and plays in the flow of the game. Most of the shots she takes are quality ones that benefit the team.

Motley is more than just a shooter though. She’s a versatile weapon that can play multiple positions on both sides of the court due to her court vision and grittiness to battle bigger players.

“On offense, I can run the point, I could be the two, the three, the four,” Motley said. “Just the way our offense is set up, I don’t necessarily have to be on the ball. My teammates can get me open and I can set up other players.”

Despite all the personal accolades, Motley is focused on winning team awards.

When asked about her goals for the year, Motley answered, “Definitely win the ACC Championship. Get deeper into the NCAA Tournament. We need some rings.”