Chrishae Rowe always has a look on her face that says, “this is easy, I can do it.”
That approach comes in the form of a Corona, Calif., native. The freshman women’s basketball player has already shown her ability to push herself and put in the extra hours, something that David Wolfe, her high school coach, says she’s done since her days at Santiago High School.
Rowe says that her days of shooting at 6 a.m. for Santiago have taught her the importance of hard work.
“When I came here, I knew that I was going to work harder than I ever had before because of the level of competition. I still like to be the first one in and the last one off,” Rowe said.
So far this season, she’s averaging 26 points per game and 7.3 rebounds. Rowe’s best game of the season came against Sacramento State when she recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 28 points and 14 rebounds.
Rowe put up a team-high of 27 points on 12-of-27 shooting against No. 1-ranked UConn. The 5-foot-10 guard has already picked up two awards for Pac-12 freshman of the week in her first two weeks of college play.
Westhead, the University of Oregon women’s basketball head coach, stresses that it’s still too early in the season to know exactly how good Rowe will be for the Ducks, but he says she’s learning something new in each game and practice.
“She’s an evolving, very good player,” Westhead said. “At this stage, a freshman, pre-Pac-12 play, she’s learning her task. So far she’s done it very well.”
Forward Jillian Alleyne knew Rowe from their days as competitors in the Inland Empire of Southern California. In Rowe’s senior season, the teams split the two meetings, but Alleyne jokingly noted her Summit High Skyhawks have the bragging rights with the last win head-to-head.
Alleyne said Rowe pushes herself to the limits, putting in countless hours of work. They’ve become close friends so far, partly because of their mutual love for Buffalo Wild Wings.
They often talk before and after games, finding things to improve upon and pushing each other to become better athletes.
“We’re always positive and keeping each other up,” Alleyne said.
“I know that she (Alleyne) knows how to win,” Rowe said. “When I heard she had committed and signed, I knew that Oregon would have a post player that would work for the team … She’s one of my closest friends here.”
Alleyne says that everyone on the team loves each other as sisters. As the eldest of seven brothers and two sisters, Rowe knows the value of family.
“My brothers and sisters are literally everything to me,” Rowe said. “We probably FaceTime any chance I get, between weights and practice, after I’m done with practice. Just to see their face, it keeps me going because they look up to me. They love to see me play.”
Rowe also keeps in contact with Wolfe through text messaging. From her days going one-on-one with the boys at Santiago to her time at Oregon, some things haven’t changed. Wolfe emphasizes how proud he is of Rowe’s early success, particularly because everything she’s done, she’s earned.
“All she has to do is stay positive and keep working hard and she will do great,” Wolfe said.
The coaching staff that Westhead employs to mentor the team has mitigated the transition for Rowe from high school to college play.
“They go above and beyond to help me become a better person and player,” Rowe said. “They’re not just concerned with numbers; they’re genuinely concerned with me becoming better and successful in every aspect.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne