Shae Kelley gives Gophers' women's basketball a triple threat

One could call their first meeting exhausting.

Minnesota coach Marlene Stollings, then at the helm of the Virginia Commonwealth women's basketball program, saw Shae Kelley and sighed.

How are we going to guard her, she wondered then. How are we going to stop her?

That night, the Rams managed to hold the star forward to only six points, six rebounds and four steals, but still lost to Old Dominion by 23 points.

Meanwhile, Kelley was beginning to develop an impression of her own. A year later, when the teams met again, Kelley's view of the opposing coach's up-tempo style was solidified. This time, VCU won 81-68.

"It's hard to defend," the 6-1 Kelley said of the hectic pace. "It is hard to defend. Because you've got to be on your toes all the time.

''… We kind of hit a wall late in that game because of the pace that they played at, and they don't stop playing at that pace during the entire game. That really stood out for me."

Kelley — who led the Monarchs in almost every meaningful category last year — is the elite addition first-year coach Stollings hopes will push the Gophers to Big Ten and NCAA tournament success.

And who could be more certain of the gains possible in Stollings' system than someone who was just beaten by it?

Those real-time experiences played a big role in Kelley's interest in Minnesota, when she decided to transfer from Old Dominion for her last year of eligibility after graduating.

In Dinkytown, at least one player held her breath: sophomore center Amanda Zahui B., who was already dreaming about the double- and triple-team defenses she faced a year ago evaporating. Zahui B. hosted Kelley on her official visit, and one night, she laid out those hopes.

At Minnesota, Kelley could relieve some of the defensive pressure Zahui B. and guard Rachel Banham faced regularly last season — a factor in the Gophers not making the NCAA tournament. She could thrive in this new system.

"If you come here," Zahui B. posed, "We're going to make something happen."

The lofty plans for this season, which tips off against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 14, began that night. This Gophers team, with Kelley highlighting a handful of promising newcomers, isn't shy. They want to win the Big Ten. They want the league tournament trophy, too. And they want to get to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008-09, and for the first time in Kelley's career.

"I thought me coming here would bring that extra 'oomph,' " Kelley said. "That extra X-factor to the team to put us over the edge."

That's what Stollings had in mind when she brought in the veteran standout. The coach sees her first signee with the Gophers as the embodiment of the type of player that she wants to bring to Minnesota.

Besides acting as another chess piece to help spread defenses, Kelley is extremely versatile and a mismatch maven — capable of shooting three-pointers, driving to the basket and playing all over the court.

What will be a change for Kelley is playing with two other stars — not the case at Old Dominion, where she was the main event. But the Colorado native embraces the adjustment.

She knows through experience that together they will be exhausting.