Forward's potential is tapped again

As a senior at San Diego High School in 2004, Charde Houston was a scoring machine coveted by every major college women's basketball program.

The 6-1 forward was rated the No. 2 player in the nation behind Candace Parker. A few recruiting services even had Houston ahead of Parker, who wound up at Tennessee.

Houston chose Connecticut. But sometime during her career in Storrs, she lost her confidence playing for Geno Auriemma, the demanding Huskies coach.

Early in Houston's career, Auriemma had told the media horde following UConn that she could be the national player of the year some day. But by her senior year, Houston mostly came off the bench.

So earlier this month, when the Lynx picked Houston in the third round of the WNBA draft, No. 30 overall, it was regarded as a bit of a gamble -- but not to Houston, who intends to make the most of her fresh start.

"Inconsistency was the story of my life," Houston said Sunday after the first practice for the Lynx. "I am at a point now where I want to put that behind me because none of that matters now. I have a chance now to do some great things and start a new chapter in my life."

She made a good first impression, until her legs started aching.

Houston definitely has talent. She scored 3,837 points in her high school career, breaking the California record of 3,446 held by Cheryl Miller. As a senior, Houston led her Cavers to a 32-3 record and the Division I state championship game.

"It was not even fair," said Marlon Wells, who coached San Diego High when Houston played there. "It was like a woman against little girls. I even had CIF [California Interscholastic Federation] officials tell me when to take her out of a game. She could score at will.

"She could shoot threes, handle the ball, score inside. She could have averaged 50, 60 points. I almost lost my job."

She averaged 34.6 points as a senior. She had 71 points in one game, 67 in another in only three quarters.

"She is an offensive scorer," Wells said, "but [Auriemma] wanted her to be a rebounder and defender. She is still learning. She is only 21, 22. She will surprise people in the WNBA."

Houston averaged 12.5 points and 26 minutes per game as a junior; as a senior, she averaged only 6.6 points and 16 minutes. She didn't score in double figures for the Huskies this season until the Big East tournament final, when she had 13 points along with 11 rebounds in 22 minutes in a 65-59 victory over Louisville -- taking home tournament MVP honors in the process.

"I don't regret anything that has happened," said Houston, who almost left UConn in frustration as a sophomore. "But one thing I have learned: To never second-guess myself and my capabilities."