We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with Georgia SR C Jenna Staiti. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jenna about being a great shot-blocker and her expectations for this season.
You did not start playing basketball seriously until you were in high school: how come? I was a swimmer at 1st: I played a little basketball during middle school and joined a travel team with some friends but was not super-serious about it. I eventually got a little tired of having to wake up early for swimming and realized that it was not fun anymore. I started getting looked at seriously for basketball around 8th grade even though I had not yet scratched the surface.
In 2016 you were named a WBCA High School All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor, and which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Lauren Cox/Sabrina Ionescu/Nancy Mulkey/other)? Winning Miss Georgia Basketball was the coolest: my coach called me to his office and I thought that I was in trouble until he told me! It was the icing on the cake. It was cool to be in the same class as those girls: Destiny Slocum (now in the WNBA) is 1 of my good buddies.
You began your college career at Maryland: what made you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Georgia? I committed to Maryland as a high school sophomore: if I was talking to my 15-year old self now I would tell her that her priorities will change by the time she turned 18. I was homesick: my grandmother was sick and I was unable to be at home as much as I wanted to be. I got my release after the season was over, then Coach Joni Taylor called me: I have known her for awhile and we just picked up where we left off. My family/friends get to come to all of my games now so it is good to be back.
Coach Taylor was named SEC COY last season: what makes her such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? She is everything that you need in a coach. I look at her 1st as a mentor: I can talk to her about anything even if it is not related to basketball. She is like a mom and believed in me when nobody else did: she saved me in a way and is just amazing. We play so hard for her: we want to win for her because she does so much for us. I was so happy when I heard that she was named COY: she deserved it so much.
Last year you led the SEC with 3.2 BPG: what is the secret to being a great shot-blocker? At 1st I could block shots because I was tall but have gotten even better over the years. I fouled out a lot when I was younger but have learned how to use my right hand against a lefty and make sure to not get called for fouls: coordination is important. The least I can do is to be there to help out down low because our guards play such great defense.
In the 2021 NCAA tourney you scored 18 PTS in a 7-PT loss to Oregon: what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? We have a lot of people coming back this year so that experience will help us all a lot. Everyone comes ready to play and wants to beat you in the postseason: it is win or you are done. I think that we will be better prepared this year.
You considered entering the WNBA draft a few months ago: why did you decide to return to college, and do you have any regrets? I do not have any regrets. I was thinking of going pro but due to COVID it turns out that I can play for another year and get my masters: it was an opportunity that I could not pass up. The only possible regret is for my body: it sounds weird to say but I am a sore 23-year old!
You graduated last spring with a degree in human development and family science and are now pursuing a master’s degree: what the heck is sport pedagogy, and how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? Sport pedagogy is about the principles involved in becoming a coach: it is based off of what you learn in PE class but I definitely want to be a college basketball coach. Being a grad student is so much easier than undergrad: I only go to classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I just need to manage my projects.
Your mother Sandi played volleyball at Providence, your father Jim played basketball at Presbyterian, and your grandfather played basketball at Loyola MD: who is the best athlete in the family? Me: hands down! I also have a brother who played basketball and a sister who played volleyball: it is very competitive in our family.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? I want to win an SEC title, go to the Final 4, and then win an NCAA title. It stung a lot last year to get so close to a conference title (a 5-PT loss to South Carolina in the title game) but now we know what to do. Hosting the tourney at home would be great: I want a ring!