University of Minnesota Athletics
Courtside with Jessie Edwards
12/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jessie Edwards (Leeming, Australia) is coming off one of the best games of her career against Belmont on Wednesday. The center has started nine games this year, two more than she did all of last season.
How did it feel to score a career-high 29 points against Belmont, especially hearing that the Bruins' game plan was to make you be the one to beat them?
I'm pretty happy about it. I just tried to take advantage of the opportunities that they gave me. Luckily, I was able to knock down those important shots.
Some of your points came on short and mid-range jumpers. How much do you work on those types of shots?
We work a lot on the 10-, 15-foot jumpers in practice. We always do them in the beginning of practice. I've worked on them a lot, so it wasn't completely surprising that I could make them when I had the opportunity.
What did you do over the summer to get your strength to where it is now?
I have to give the credit to Coach Ralph (Petrella), because he's really the one who oversees all of our strength and conditioning programs. I think just working on trying to lift heavier, and improving my endurance as well, was definitely a big part of it.
On the court, what did you work on the most over the summer?
I focused on my post moves and also trying to be more physical around the basket, and rebounding as well. Not just finding the rebound, but finding the person to box out.
How have you kept up with recovery now that you're playing even more minutes than last year?
I've definitely had to focus more on keeping my body in good shape. But I'm really happy that I get to play more minutes on the court. It's worth it to put in that extra time to keep my body healthy.
Bryanna Fernstrom will join the rotation in the post during Big Ten play. How does that affect the intensity in practice as everyone competes for minutes?
I know that Bry and I are different kinds of players. She's a lot stronger and bigger than me. We play different styles, so I think that even when she is able to start playing and will probably get a lot of minutes, I feel that if I focus on my style of playing then that's still going to be useful for the team and I'll still be able to see the court.
You're getting close to Minnesota's career top 10 for blocks. Other than height, what are the keys for you to get those blocks?
Coach Nik (Dawkins) and the posts have been focusing on the correct positioning for defense when the ball gets passed into the post or if there's a guard that drives. I think that practice has helped with being able to read the other player, whether they're going to shoot or drive or pass.
What is the most interesting aspect of your major in psychology?
My main goal is to become a clinical psychologist. One of the most interesting things through studying psychology is learning things that you can actually apply to real life, basketball especially. I think one of the coolest things is learning something and then being able to apply it in real life.
How much Hungarian have you learned from teammate Palma Kaposi?
I've learned some basic phrases. I wanted to learn it because I love languages. In my high school and elementary and middle school I learned Japanese. I studied Norwegian for a year here. I just love the way that languages can give you insight into another culture. Palma and I are such good friends, so I wanted to learn a little bit about her culture and her language.
What are your holiday plans after Wednesday's game?
My dad is actually coming here. He'll be here for the Kent State game. After that finishes I'm going to be spending Christmas with him, and then he'll come to the Ohio State game.
