By Scott Mammoser
Megan Huff’s decision to transfer from the volleyball court at the University of Hawaii to the basketball court at the University of Utah could land the 6-foot-3 forward on a WNBA roster this summer.
Averaging about 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, Huff is predicted to be a third-round draft choice, according to Michelle Voepel of ESPNW. She began her college career at Hawaii, where after a year and a half of volleyball, she decided to focus on hoops. In her first season in Salt Lake City (2017-18), Huff was a first-team all-Pac-12 selection as the team finished 18-14 and made the WNIT.
“My motivation comes from my love of the game of basketball,” said Huff, who is from the Seattle area. “Playing one sport, my hunger for the game of basketball is present, and my family motivates me. I’ve been playing basketball since I was young, and I am more comfortable with it, and my upside was higher.”
She also said that because of the WNBA, there are more opportunities to extend her career than in volleyball, which lacks a professional league in the United States.
Utah began the season 12-0 and was 18-1 and up to No. 14 in the nation. It even beat a Stanford team that was 23-0 against the Utes all time. Two big wins over the Washington schools this weekend snapped a six-game losing streak, as the team improved to 20-7 and is in position for its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2011, which was also its final season in the Mountain West Conference.
A major turning point in the Utes’ season was when senior forward Daneesha Provo, second on the team with 13.5 points per game, was lost for the year with a torn ACL in the team’s first loss, 65-63, to Arizona State on Jan. 4.
“She was a really important aspect, one of our best defenders for sure,” Huff said of the Nova Scotia native Provo. “Her scoring ability made the defenses press on her. We have a lot of players who stepped up, but Daneesha was a step ahead of them with that leadership ability from the start. It’s been an exciting and growing season, a lot of growth going on. We’ve shown what we can do. We want to see how far we can get, not only in the Pac-12, but in the NCAA Tournament, playing to our potential.”
Huff said she feels her consistency, shooting and quick decision making are her strong attributions, while to sustain success as a professional, she added she could improve upon her ball handling and patience. She can’t rush the things she is taught in practice and needs to work on it when she is in the gym alone.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was kid to play in the WNBA,” she added. “Not just on the court, but to make an impact in the community is something I have aspired towards for a long time. Reaching my dream will be an exciting moment for my career.”
(Follow Scott on Twitter: @SMammoser)
