Major, major props need to be sent in the direction of Miss Angel McCoughtry, who is making quite a name for herself at the Pan American Games being held in Rio De Janeiro.
The reigning Big East Player of the Year and U of L junior-to-be led all scorers with 21 points as the United States defeated Canada 75-59 to move into the gold medal game against host Brazil.
"I just felt like I needed to help the team out because I felt we got off to a slow start," said McCoughtry. "And I thought when I come in I have got to give energy and help this team. And the rest of the bench came in as well and really helped."
Despite coming off the bench, McCoughtry is averaging 11.5 ppg and has hit double figures in three of the four games the national team has played in Rio. The Baltimore native's 13-point performance in the U.S.'s 78-63 victory over two-time defending Pan Am champ Cuba Sunday night was good for second best on the team. She also dropped 12 on Columbia in the squad's tournament opening win.
For those not familiar or whose short term memory doesn't extend past the men's game, in 2007 McCoughtry led both the team and the league in scoring (22.4), rebounding (10.9) and steals (3.63). Just two games after scoring 38 points against Butler, she set a school record by netting 41 against Eastern illinois.
Angel is destined to be the first Cardinal to play in the WNBA, and it's fantastic to see her making such a splash at the international level.