Spring Break
The Daily OrangeGathering storm: Long Island standout Kia Wright ends up at St. John's after short stint at UConn
By Joel Godett
Posted: 12/6/06, 12:53 AM EST Section: Sports
Kim Barnes Arico checked her voicemail. The St. John's women's basketball coach thought it was a prank-a bad one.
"She had left me a couple messages and I wasn't sure if it was really true, or if somebody was playing a bad joke at the time," Barnes Arico said.
The "she" is Kia Wright, a 5-foot-8 guard from Long Island. At the time, Wright was a top-20 recruit entering her freshman year in 2003 at Connecticut, the reigning NCAA champion.
"I thought one of my friends was playing a mean trick on me," Barnes Arico said. "One of the best players in the country, on the best team in the country, with the best coach in the country wants to come to St. John's, and at that time we hadn't established anything."
One day everything made sense. Barnes Arico, a year into her St. John's tenure, was out recruiting and called the office to check her voicemails.
"My secretary said (Connecticut coach) Geno (Auriemma) called," Barnes Arico said.
A UConn press release had announced the signing of Wright just months before. It quoted Auriemma as saying Wright was an "explosive and athletic player with great court vision." But she never saw the floor of the Huskies' Gampel Pavilion. Just days after arriving, Wright wanted out of Connecticut. She wanted to go home.
"Just being away from home, it was tough," Wright said. "I think I started to cry the second my parents drove away. I graduated high school three days before I left, so I was young. I wasn't ready for it at all."
Wright said Auriemma was very helpful in finding her a new home. After Wright said she wasn't interested in junior college or prep school, St. John's became her new destination. Auriemma called the Red Storm.
St. John's will host Syracuse Thursday at 7 p.m.
Barnes Arico was enthralled to pick up the player, especially after missing out on her the first time. When Barnes Arico took over at SJU, Wright had already narrowed down her recruiting choices. The Red Storm was on the outside.
"She had left me a couple messages and I wasn't sure if it was really true, or if somebody was playing a bad joke at the time," Barnes Arico said.
The "she" is Kia Wright, a 5-foot-8 guard from Long Island. At the time, Wright was a top-20 recruit entering her freshman year in 2003 at Connecticut, the reigning NCAA champion.
"I thought one of my friends was playing a mean trick on me," Barnes Arico said. "One of the best players in the country, on the best team in the country, with the best coach in the country wants to come to St. John's, and at that time we hadn't established anything."
One day everything made sense. Barnes Arico, a year into her St. John's tenure, was out recruiting and called the office to check her voicemails.
"My secretary said (Connecticut coach) Geno (Auriemma) called," Barnes Arico said.
A UConn press release had announced the signing of Wright just months before. It quoted Auriemma as saying Wright was an "explosive and athletic player with great court vision." But she never saw the floor of the Huskies' Gampel Pavilion. Just days after arriving, Wright wanted out of Connecticut. She wanted to go home.
"Just being away from home, it was tough," Wright said. "I think I started to cry the second my parents drove away. I graduated high school three days before I left, so I was young. I wasn't ready for it at all."
Wright said Auriemma was very helpful in finding her a new home. After Wright said she wasn't interested in junior college or prep school, St. John's became her new destination. Auriemma called the Red Storm.
St. John's will host Syracuse Thursday at 7 p.m.
Barnes Arico was enthralled to pick up the player, especially after missing out on her the first time. When Barnes Arico took over at SJU, Wright had already narrowed down her recruiting choices. The Red Storm was on the outside.
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