UConn point guard Crystal Dangerfield just getting started

— -- HARTFORD, Conn. -- Before Connecticut freshman guard Crystal Dangerfield took to the court Monday night against Ohio State, she needed a quick pep talk from sophomore teammate Katie Lou Samuelson.

In what would be just her second career start, and her first in front of a large UConn home crowd, Dangerfield caught a case of nerves and began to feel overwhelmed.

Samuelson, who started 21 games during her freshman season, kept her advice to Dangerfield simple: Do what you've been doing all season.

"I told her that the nerves were going to be there, you need that adrenaline to get you forward," Samuelson said. "I just told her play how she can play, and she's been doing that."

Dangerfield, able to calm the nerves, contributed a strong performance in the Huskies' eventual 82-63 victory over the Buckeyes -- UConn's 85th straight win.

With a starting five that includes Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier and Samuelson, Dangerfield is not expected to lead the team statistically or vocally. Nor does she have to. In 34 minutes of play, the freshman guard totaled eight points, five assists and three rebounds.

Dangerfield began molding her role on the team in just the second game of the season when, against then No. 2-ranked Baylor, she led all UConn players with an electric 19-point performance, shooting 8-of-14 from the field.

Currently, Dangerfield serves as a kind of anchor, charged with commandeering the dominant UConn offense while finding moments to make plays for herself. While Dangerfield won't light up the stat sheet on a consistent basis -- not yet anyway -- her contributions are always timely. Her ability to knock down a big shot, draw a charge or find an open player on the break has proved significant. Her strength is her court vision and finding open teammates on the floor.

"She'll make some tough shots, she loves the runners. She does stuff where you go, 'Wow I didn't think she could do that,'" Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said.

Dangerfield, who has started in place of sidelined senior guard Saniya Chong (concussionlike symptoms), said she is slowly adjusting and becoming more comfortable with the starting role.

"Instead of coming into a tone that has already been set, I like being able to now set the tone for myself," Dangerfield said. "I feel like the game comes better to me when I start."

According to teammates such as Samuelson, Dangerfield's consistency and growth will come with experience. Samuelson said she has been impressed with Dangerfield's performance.

"She's been really good," Samuelson said. "I think she's trying to embrace that role of coming in to be that point guard, especially when Saniya is out and the fact that we lost [Moriah Jefferson, to graduation]. Her role is to show that she can be that consistent player to lead the offense and hit a shot when we do need it but also make the right passes. I think she showed that today."

Dangerfield said she wants to be more active on the floor, adding that she believes her role as a starter is threefold: go and make plays, don't be tentative, be in attack mode.

"I think I'm starting to make that jump as the game goes by," Dangerfield said.

Dangerfield's progression has not come without a few expected growing pains. She has led the team in turnovers in three of the eight games she has played in, including six turnovers against LSU on Nov. 20. On Monday against the Buckeyes, multiple unforced errors due to poor decision-making exposed Dangerfield's inexperience.

With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and UConn up by 17 against Ohio State, Dangerfield telegraphed a pass to the left wing that was deflected easily out of bounds -- invoking an audible sideline reaction from Auriemma. Less than a minute later, an OSU full-court press caused Dangerfield to send an errant pass that sailed over the head of Nurse and out of bounds.

"I would say she's comatose sometimes out there," said Auriemma, who added that Dangerfield is still far from the potential he has seen daily. "She is way better than that -- slowly but surely, we are getting there with her. We're trying to get her to be way more involved. The more she gets involved, as time goes on, she's going to be really good."