Michelle Woods wants to end her collegiate career on a high note this season. The redshirt senior will be turned to for her leadership and experience this year more than ever.
Woods will seek to build on a strong season last year, when she was second on the team in assists, free throws made and free throws attempted. One of her greatest assets is her ability to involve her teammates. Woods’s ability to penetrate, to draw defenders and to find open teammates provides opportunities for the whole offense.
The Naples, Florida native has great offensive skills from both inside and outside. She has a knack for getting to the rim and drawing fouls, as she was able to rack up a good portion of her 8.5 points per game from the charity stripe. However, Woods can also connect from beyond the three-point arc. She was third on the team for three-pointers with 36 last year, while posting a respectable 32.5 field goal percentage from deep.
Woods is also talented on the defensive end of the court. Her quick hands resulted in 31 steals last year. This culminated in a milestone game against Iowa during the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She recorded three steals in that matchup, which is good enough for ninth most in an NCAA Tournament game in the history of Miami basketball.
After being forced to sit out the 2013-14 season due to a chest injury, Woods came back strong last year and proved that durability and toughness were trademarks of her game. She played in all 33 games and averaged about 26 minutes in those contests. This will certainly not change in the upcoming season, as the Canes will need her experience and skills on the court.
Woods will be an important piece of the puzzle for Miami this year. If she continues to contribute both offensively and defensively successfully for the Canes, they can expect another NCAA Tournament berth.