The Red Storm’s Leilani Correa - “La Correa”: She’s Got Game

By Andy Lipton

NEW YORK - You might think it’s going to be Kyrie and Durant that take New York by storm this upcoming basketball season.  But I beg to differ.  It’s going to be a sophomore from St. John’s, the reigning Big East Sixth-Woman Awardee.

 

So New York, New York, start spreading the news. A must-see player this season is a Jersey girl, Leilani Correa.  And for the guys out there who’ve never been into women’s basketball, it’s about time.  You guys may have missed the news last century, but the ladies can flat out play and compete.  And Correa is exceptional.

 

La Correa can do it all on the court.  

 

At 6’0’’ she has very good ball handling skills, as well as quickness and decent speed. With a quick first step, she can drive by many opponents, especially tall opponents.  And there is a fluidity as she drives to the basket that will capture your attention. 

 

Given her height, she can easily shoot over smaller opponents.

 

She can score from anywhere on the court - inside, outside,on the drive - left or right.  She possesses such a soft shot that even if she seemingly misses by hitting the rim, there are times that the ball somehow gently caresses the rim before dropping in.

 

And Correa possesses a rare quality for a scorer.  She’s unselfish.  Last season, she didn’t look to shoot every time she had the ball and was fairly judicious with her shot selection.  

 

Moreover, she is decisive with the ball – the ball does not linger in her hands.

 

Nevertheless, given the departure of three important players from last year’s Red Storm squad, Alisha Kebbe, and Alissa Alston – both due to graduation - and Tiana England due to transfer, the team will need Correa to shoot more this year.

 

Her height allows her to pass over opponents which should make double teaming her when she has the ball more difficult.

 

Defensively, Correa has the speed and quickness to stay with opponents.  As she gets older, she’ll get stronger and increase her ability to accelerate faster and over longer distances, as well as the ability to stop and start more quickly. After off-season workouts, Correa thinks she may have gained some quickness.

 

Coach Joe Tartamella wants Correa to improve both her on-the-ball and help defense this season, and Correa agrees that she needs to show improvement from last season. Expect to see her pressuring the ball more. 

One other area of improvement will be moving without the ball – making harder cuts.

 

Correa can rebound on both sides of the court.  She was the second leading rebounder for the Johnnies her freshman season.

 

Correa has a knack for stealing passes.  Not sure whether it’s due to her long wingspan, quick hands, or ability to read the play or some combination of those.  

She led the team in steals with 40 last season.

 

With the loss of Tiana England, Coach Tartamella will look to sophomore Unique Drake and redshirt sophomore Camree Clegg to run the team on the floor.  It’s a crucial position for Tartamella as that person is an extension of him on the court.

 

I have no idea how Drake and Clegg will work out in this role. As of the Big East Media Day, Tartamella expressed satisfaction as to how they and the team were doing.

 

If Tartamella later becomes unsatisfied, it might be in the realm of possibility that he will look to Correa to be his point guard.  She has experience at the point, gained during her high school years.  

 

Correa has the ability to shoot over the top of a zone and can pass over the zone.  One beneficiary of that move could be senior Raven Farley, who at 6’4’’ can post down low and shoot short shots over most of her opponents.  As a point guard, Correa could get the ball to Farley.  

 

In practice, the team has been working on making passes down into the post.  In addition to Farley, the team has other players with significant height.  Two of the new players to the team are 6’3” junior Raven Peeples and 6’0”junior Fapou Semebene.

 

Against a man-to-man defense, Correa, as a point guard, would have the ball in her hands more, conducive to creating more scoring opportunities given her scoring ability.

 

La Correa is calm, cool and collected on the court, important traits for a floor leader. (As well as an impassive facial expression that is Walt “Clyde” Frazier-like.)

 

Lastly, running the team on the floor would also give Correa the chance to become a bona fide leader. Correa says that Coach Tartamella would like her to be more of a vocal leader.

 Given her abilities, a bunch of new faces on the team, and with only two players, senior Qadashah Hoppie and junior Kadaja Bailey, on the team longer than Correa, both Correa and her teammates might embrace such a leadership role.