For UCF, Having Zakiya Saunders Is ‘Dream Come True’

(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)

ORLANDO, Fla. – NCAA transfer rules mandate that a player who transfers from one institution to another must sit out the ensuing season. With that out of the way, second-year University of Central Florida guard Zakiya Saunders can finally play with the Knights and second-year UCF head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.

However, this isn’t the first time Saunders and Abrahamson-Henderson have competed under the same banner. Before Abrahamson-Henderson and Saunders made the move to Central Florida, both were at the University at Albany together.

“It’s a dream come true,” Abrahamson-Henderson said at the team’s media day on Oct. 24. “Like, she’s had four years of training from us. She is like a mini me on the floor. She knows exactly what the expectations are… You know, she’s just—I can’t explain it. But it’s just, like, maybe having Matt Williams on your team again this year. Like, gosh, you don’t wanna lose him, right?

“…When they’re on the floor and in huddles down there, when I can’t tell ‘em what to do, I know what Zee’s saying. She’s saying exactly what I would say or exactly what [assistant coach Tahnee Balerio] would say. She knows how to motivate. She knows how to get in people to hype ‘em up. You know, she knows how to do a lot of things. So just all of her intangibles, you know, are really cool, but she can score a lot of points.”

In three years with Albany, Saunders shot 46.6 percent from the field, averaging 7.6 points per game. She also averaged 1.7 steals per game, 4.4 assists per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. Saunders understands both the expectations and her role as Abrahamson-Henderson’s most experienced product.

“Yeah, sometimes [Abrahamson-Henderson] says in practice, or even in games sometimes, that I’m like the miniature her on the court,” Saunders said at media day on Oct. 24. “I’ve been around her so long I kinda picked up on her tendencies, so I kinda know what she wants us to do and what she’s gonna say.”

Saunders will have the benefit of playing with shooting guard Aliyah Gregory, who led the Knights in scoring with a 16.6 points-per-game average. For Gregory, Saunders is unlike any player she’s ever played with.

“It’s great having her on the floor. I don’t think I’ve played with anyone that makes everyone around them better like Zee does,” Gregory said at media day on Oct. 24. “She’s able to, you know, get her own shot, but she also knows when it’s time to, you know, kick it to a teammate, or—she just makes everybody better. And not even making sure you’re getting shots but making sure you’re in the right position. She knows how to motivate. So, having her on the floor is amazing.”

As for point guard Korneila Wright, who started 18 of her 33 appearances last season, she is likely to come off the bench in favor of the more-experienced Saunders. Last season as a true freshman, Wright averaged 4.8 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game.

“I think [Saunders is] a very special player. Like, off the court, having her in the weight room, on the track,” Wright said at media day on Oct. 24. “Whether we’re in a meeting, she’s just very vocal, and that just carries over to the floor. She’s just a great leader. And whether it’s her shooting ability or her getting to the basket, she’s just great fun to play with. On defense, she’s very smart, and she’s very long. So, it’ll be fun, you know, getting up and down with her.”

For Saunders, sitting out a whole season served as self-motivation and has made her hungry for games in her last season of eligibility.

“It’s kinda like a motivation for me,” Saunders said. “You know, I just wanna go out there and do the best for [Abrahamson-Henders] and, you know, everybody on the team. I sat out for a whole year, so I just wanna give everything I got. It’s my last year.”

Both the Knights’ men’s and women’s programs open their seasons on Nov. 10 against the Mercer Bears. The women’s game is at 5:30 p.m., and the men will play at 8 p.m. on ESPN3.

For more on the Knights, as they prepare for their season-opener against Mercer, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.