Posted by Mechelle Voepel
PHOENIX -- Lest you think Phoenix is "Team UConn" because of Diana Taurasi and Ketia Swanier … remember, of course, that Indiana has a former Huskies player, too.
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Fever coach Lin Dunn relies heavily on her starters, but she has faith in all her reserves, including UConn grad Jessica Moore.
Jessica Moore began this summer with Los Angeles, the team she'd spent the previous four seasons with. But the Sparks were a post-heavy team and waived her in early June … about the time the Fever lost Yolanda Griffith and really needed post help.
Indiana picked up Moore on June 11, then six days later signed Jessica Davenport, who had been waived by the New York Liberty. The two Jessicas have stepped in to provide important depth inside for Indiana.
Moore played for UConn from 2001-05, winning three national championships along with Taurasi. Among the most memorable parts of Moore's career was when she tore her ACL and didn't realize it in the 2004 NCAA title game -- leaving the court but then later coming back to play.
As a pro, Moore is having her most productive summer; she averaged 4.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 19.8 minutes during the regular season. Those numbers are similar to what she did in her best season for the Sparks, which was in 2006.
It's notable that Moore's top game of the season came against the Mercury: She had 19 points and eight rebounds in a 90-83 victory at Phoenix on Aug. 8. Tammy Sutton-Brown was out of that game with a stress reaction in her toe, so Moore started and played 35½ minutes.
As expected, Moore's stats are down a little during the playoffs -- 2.3 ppg and 1.6 rpg -- as coach Lin Dunn has used her starters a lot. Still, Moore has been an important cog for Dunn.
"She always says, 'Somebody off the bench is going to come out and win this game for us,' " Moore said, referring to how Dunn frequently bolsters her reserves' morale and confidence. "And we really believe that. We all trust each other and know that whenever somebody gets in, it doesn't matter if you play two minutes or 20 minutes, we know you're going to play well.
"I think we're very confident, and for Coach to feel like she can play everybody on the team is huge. It takes some weight off the core players."
Moore, who is originally from Alaska, certainly has not been forgotten by UConn folks for all she did in her Huskies career.
"It's a win-win for UConn," she said. "No matter what happens, somebody from the Connecticut family is going to win the Finals. Meanwhile, Geno [Auriemma] is the coach of the Olympic team, and there are a lot of UConn players who have a chance to make that team. I think it's just awesome.
"I have heard from all the [UConn] assistant coaches going into the Finals. I haven't heard from [Auriemma], but he's pretty busy right now. And [former Huskies assistant] Jamelle Elliott is the coach at Cincinnati now, and she is going to try to come to a game if she can. They're all really excited, and I get messages from them after games."
Moore jokes that Huskies associate head coach Chris Dailey gives her grief about wearing a headband while playing, since that was not allowed at UConn.
"She'll say, 'Why are you wearing that?'" Moore said, laughing. "And I say, 'Well, I can do whatever I want now.'"
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