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Arkansas-Little Rock guard Asriel Rolfe laid the foundation. The senior point guard has been there for four years, providing stability and efficiency at the game's most important position.
Shanika Butler provided the framework. Her intensity in practices and games have been what coach Joe Foley has built around. She represents the type of player he wants to recruit.
All the while, Chastity Reed's ability to score and matter-of-fact approach to the game has made her the face of the program.
"The first few years were pretty tough getting this thing going," Foley said. "I've been waiting for the day when I'd have three or four seniors that were very good players. They did a heck of a job last year and got us to the NCAA Tournament. They've done a pretty good job this year."
Butler, Reed and Rolfe played huge roles in getting Little Rock to its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The Trojans earned their first automatic NCAA Tournament berth this season by winning the Sun Belt Conference championship riding their senior leadership.
Little Rock's seniors hope their chemistry will pay off against a Wisconsin-Green Bay team that's 32-1 and looking to exploit any weakness.
"I think it's an advantage just knowing it's hard to find people on the floor that play as well together as us three," said Butler, who averages 4.1 . "We've been playing together for four years now. It actually helps the team. Everybody on the floor has a nice chemistry together."
Reed, Little Rock's leading scorer, agrees.
"I know what they are going to do on the floor," said Reed, the Sun Belt Conference's player of the year averaging 19.4 points. "I'm sure they know what I am going to do. You know we are gong to go hard and count on each other for everything."
All three players know the ins-and-outs of Foley's motion offense and have used it, along with improvement of overall fundamentals, to elevate their games. As they improved, so did their teammates. They are proud of the fact that their play, under the guidance of Foley, has turned around a once- forgotten program.
"It's special, and I am glad I've been able to be a part of it," Rolfe said. "I couldn't have done it without my other two senior teammates. It feels good to be able to do that and to have that reputation of helping build the program."
What Foley is most impressed with is his players' ability to improve off of the initial talent they brought with them as freshmen.
"They weren't very heavily recruited kids, but they've developed their games into what they are," Foley said. "They've taken a lot of pride in getting better and put in a lot of work. You've got to give them credit. They came in and worked their butts off."
