Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Rhondi Naff

Steve Virgen

The words came from the top last year. The Costa Mesa High senior

backcourt duo of Nancy Hatsushi and Leigh Marshall told the wide-eyed

sophomore the hard truth.

In the 2001-02 season, the Mustangs’ girls basketball squad would be

Rhondi Naff’s team. The young girl would have to step up and be a leader

in her junior season.

Naff did step up and deliver in the Mustangs’ up-and-down-and-up

season that ended Thursday. More importantly, she attained experience in

the go-to player role, which will only make her better in her senior

season.

“I knew I had to step it up,” said Naff, a 5-foot-11 forward who

possesses a quick first step. “Last year, Nancy and Leigh were telling me

that the next year, it’s going to be time to step up. People like

Christine Caron were also stepping up this year. During December, I

started to step up.”

Naff displayed her abilities last week when she amassed 67 points in

three wins, including a 25-point performance in a 58-49 overtime victory

over Northwood in a Pacific Coast League third-place playoff game Feb. 8

at University High. The team captain solidified Daily Pilot Athlete of

the Week laurels by thriving in her role and showing coolness in the

clutch in the win over the Timberwolves.

Naff scored five of her game-high 25 points in the extra period when

the Mustangs outscored Northwood, 11-2. She nailed two free throws with

27 seconds left in regulation for a 47-45 lead. The Timberwolves answered

right back. But Naff had the final word in overtime.

She won the tipoff in overtime, which led to an outside shot, that was

banked in, by Cassey Brick. Naff later grabbed a defensive rebound, drove

coast to coast, made one of her trademark floating jumpers through the

lane and drew the foul. She hit the free throw for a 52-47 lead to show

the Mustangs were in command with 3:00 left. She made two more foul shots

and grabbed a steal down the stretch to seal the win.

“For me personally, I’ve grown a lot this year,” Naff said. “I’ve been

able to come through when we needed it. I’ve taken the team into overtime

and hit free throws down the stretch. Coaches told me that I could be one

of the best players that have played here. My senior year, I want to take

this team farther in the playoffs.”

Naff assuredly received confidence from this season. There are many

highlights to choose from. Like when Naff hit a 40-foot shot at the

buzzer to send the game into overtime when Costa Mesa defeated host

Northwood, 61-54, Jan. 29. Naff scored 19 points, dished out four assists

and recorded three steals.

Overall, Naff has scored 443 points during the regular season (16.4

points per game). She has scored in double figures 23 of the 28 games.

She had a 14 ppg. average during PCL play as she faced double teaming

throughout, but improved in the second round of PCL. In the first round

of PCL play, she scored 52 points (10.4 ppg.), but in the second round

she delivered the payback with 87 points (17.4 ppg).

“We ask a lot of her and she’s starting to relish that role,” Costa

Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “She wants that pressure. She wants the team

to count on her. She never gives up and she’s always playing 100%. She’s

very quick and she’s tall enough to make other teams do a lot of

different things to guard her. She’s dedicated. She has an intensity that

she wants to win.”

And to think, Naff’s career could not have been if it wasn’t for her

parents, who “kind of forced” her to try out for the National Junior

Basketball program when Rhondi was in the third grade.

“I wasn’t going to play,” said Naff, who is now an avid men’s college

basketball fan. “I tried out for the NJB team. And I loved it ever since.

I watch basketball all the time. I’m always watching basketball or going

to a basketball game. I love how the fans get into it. It’s different

from any other sport.”

Naff’s passion for the game also serves as motivation for the upcoming

offseason. She’s expecting to improve her three-point shot and refine her

dribble-drive moves to the basket. She has many goals in mind and would

like to make a greater impact before her graduation.

“I really think that she can make some huge improvements because there

are some specific things we can work with this spring and we can make

very technical changes in her shot,” Weeks said. “The key about her is

that Rhondi practices 100% and plays 100% every minute. At the end of

practices, she’s working just as hard as the start of practices.”