In a game with an ending too wild to describe, California Golden Bears guard Layshia Clarendon stood out in an 82-78 overtime win over the South Florida Bulls to advance to the Sweet 16.
norcalnick of California Golden Blogs summarized Clarendon's performance nicely - and what makes her a solid WNBA prospect - in his recap of the game.
She scored 27 points on 19 shots and punished USF for every defensive mistake. If they sagged off her (why would anybody do that?) she nailed a 3. If they played her tightly, she wove her way into the paint for a mid-range jumper or an assist. Her and-1 bank shot might have been the play of the game. Before the game I asked for her and Brittany Boyd to outplay the Smith twins. They did...With Layshia leading, everybody else played their part.
That last line is a great way to underscore what has made this team so special this season and what makes Clarendon a good candidate to contribute to a roster at the next level: she finds her spots on the court remarkably well, knows what she's capable of, rarely forces the action, and plays within the offense which allows her teammates to thrive even as she's dropping 27 on someone.
There's a lot to like there as a college starter and WNBA draft prospect.
For more on the tournament, visit our NCAA section. For more on some of the top prospects for the draft, visit our 2013 WNBA Draft storystream.