Laura Harper secured her place in Maryland women?s basketball history after being named the Final Four?s most outstanding player during the Terps? national title run last season.
The honor is something that Harper, a 6-foot-4 junior center, will always cherish. At the same time, that performance motivated her over the offseason with hopes of playing an even greater role for Maryland during the upcoming season.
Harper feels she is ready to take such a step after averaging 11.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 36 games last season, including 17 starts. In the Final Four, Harper scored 24 points and had nine rebounds against North Carolina in the semifinals before finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds in the championships against Duke.
“The honors last year were great, but I want to be known as a player that can contribute all year long,” said Harper, a native of Elkins Park, Pa. “We worked just as hard last season as in any other season, and this year we?re working even harder. We know what it takes to win. We know how hard we have to work, and we?re not going to let up.”
Maryland coach Brenda Frese said she is pleased with Harper?s progress so far this season. She knows that Harper has yet to reach her full potential. She missed all but nine games her freshman year after rupturing her Achilles tendon during a practice in December 2004. Prior to that, Harper had averaged 13.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.
“She?s really taken off from that moment, and she?s playing with a tremendous amount of confidence and at a really high level,” Frese said on Harper?s postseason honors. “Last season, non-conference, she had to work on getting her timing back and her rhythm from her injury. But she?s dedicated herself in the weight room and is playing really strong in the post.”
Harper said that being named the Final Four?s top player was not something she expected, but it represented the perfect ending after suffering so much adversity the year before.
THE HARPER FILE
» Age: 20
» Height: 6-foot-4
» Hometown: Elkins Park, Pa.
» Major: Psychology
» Did you know? She scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in her first game back from injury last year in Maryland?s season opener against Siena ? She had a career-high five blocks against Gonzaga Nov. 24 ? She averaged 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds as a member of the 2004 USA Basketball Junior World Championship qualifying team, which went 5-0 and won a gold medal in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
