Cowgirl Hoops: Amari Whiting’s Game (Just Like OSU’s) Flows from Her Defense

The Cowgirls get a lot of press for being the No. 2 scoring team in the country, but not enough credit for the tenacious defense fueling that offense.

After getting thumped thanks to uncharacteristic turnovers (and uncharacteristically poor shooting) against OU last Saturday, Oklahoma State scored 33 points off of 31 Tulsa turnovers on Monday night. It was a quick turnaround that allowed the Cowgirls to get back to their brand of basketball. Namely, stifling opponents on offense and then making them pay on the other end of the floor.

During her post-Tulsa press conference, OSU head coach Jacie Hoyt nodded to her left to do-it-all guard, Amari Whiting. The BYU transfer serves as a bit of a microcosm for the way the Cowgirls have had early success this season — potent scoring with a defensive streak that not enough people are talking about.

Whiting just dropped 18 points on just 12 shots in the Cowgirls’ bounce-back win over the Golden Hurricane including three made 3-pointers. It was a bounce back for her as well after scoring just four points on 2-of-8 shooting against OU, breaking a streak of four-straight double-digit scoring outings.

But Whiting is also the Cowgirls’ main agitator on defense. She had steals and a team-high eight stops which, according to both Hoyt and Whiting, fueled her big offensive night.

Whiting was basking in the limelight from an efficient and explosive offensive performance, but as Hoyt pointed out her defensive acumen flies under the radar.

“Everything starts with her, defensively for us,” said Hoyt. “She does a great job of picking up the ball full-court and making it hard on our opponents. I don’t know that her defense is talked about enough.”

Hoyt mentioned Hayleigh Timmer, who also had five steals against Tulsa, but shifted the focus back on Whiting’s ball pressure as being a reason for those box score-filling stats. “When Amari’s picking up and guarding like that, we’re really good and she knows that. I think that was the easiest way for her to get back to who she is.”

Who she is, in this context, is one of the top two-way players in the Big 12.

In two years at BYU and so far in her first year in Stillwater, Whiting has averaged double-digit scoring throughout as well as at least five rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She’s always been a shooter, but her long range game has been lights out this season. She’s averaging a career-high 44.7 from deep.

As far as that defense goes, Whiting leads OSU in steals (2.3 avg) and steal% (4.3) and she’s the only Cowgirl to rank in the Top 20 in the Big 12 in both offensive and defensive win shares (13th and 16th, respectively).

“That’s always been my game,” Whiting said. “I start defensively and that flows [into] my offense, and it flows [into our] game. I feel like we are really good in transition and running and that comes with stops and so if we can get a stop, we can get a stop and kick it up and spray and outrun a team, that’s how we get going.

“I just feel like it takes heart and if nothing is going my way offensively, I know I can get it done defensively. I just know my role for the team and I love defense. It’s great.”

According to Hoyt, getting back to that brand of basketball was an emphasis during the short turnaround between OU and Tulsa and even more so as the Cowgirls start Big 12 play, or what she calls “second season.” OSU tips off that conference slate at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cincinnati.