PHILADELPHIA, March 26 -- Rutgers guard Cappie Pondexter appears very much at ease. A carefree smile is affixed to her lips. Amid the pressure and spotlight of the NCAA tournament, she seems happy and peaceful.
In a season that began with her taking an unexpected leave of absence and later included a run-in with Connecticut Coach Geno Auriemma, Pondexter has risen above the adversity to help the third-seeded Scarlet Knights (27-6) reach the round of 16. Rutgers plays second-seeded Ohio State (30-4) in the Philadelphia Region semifinals Sunday.
Cappie Pondexter briefly left the team, had a run-in with a coach, and last season was booed to tears.
(Steve Miller -- AP)
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"This year in the tournament, it's just been fun," said Pondexter, a 5-foot-9 senior from Chicago. "We've really been challenging ourselves to get past the first round. Now we're in our first-ever Sweet 16. So it's new, but at the same time it's exciting."
In September, Pondexter, who had been the team's leading scorer the past two seasons, announced she was leaving school for unspecified personal reasons. At the time, Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer said her star player's departure was not due to health reasons, grades, pregnancy or drugs. Neither the coach nor the player have addressed what caused her to stay away.
During her layoff, Pondexter worked at an athletic footwear store and played pickup games at recreation centers. But those informal workouts were not enough to keep her in shape. By the time she returned in late December -- a nearly nine-month stretch without playing competitively -- she had gained close to 15 pounds.
Pondexter, who had averaged more than 18 points her first two seasons, managed to score in double figures only twice in her first seven games.
"It took some time to adjust," Pondexter said. "By me not being physically being there, it was tough for me mentally. As the months have gone by, I've been in better shape. It's been a lot easier for me . . . [but] I know I'm not at my best."
After starting every game of her college career, Pondexter didn't return to the starting lineup until February. Since then, she has started intermittently. She came off the bench in the Big East tournament.
In the tournament final against Connecticut, Pondexter became involved in a verbal confrontation with Auriemma. Following the Huskies' win, Pondexter was seen vigorously responding to a comment Auriemma allegedly made to her. Neither party has commented on what was said. Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese later exonerated the coach.
As luck would have it, the NCAA selection committee sent Rutgers to Storrs, Conn., for its first-round game.
Many wondered how Pondexter would respond in such a hostile environment, especially given her NCAA tournament experience a year ago. Prior to the Scarlet Knights' first-round loss to Tennessee-Chattanooga, Pondexter had admitted that she was unfamiliar with the Moccasins. The comments were interpreted as a slight to the program, and during the game, the Chattanooga fans booed Pondexter incessantly, reducing her to tears. She spent most of the game in foul trouble and scored just nine points.
"She got so tight and felt like the burdens of the world were upon her shoulders," Stringer said. "As a result, she disintegrated. When we went to Chattanooga, people were jeering. She's such a humble, quiet, reserved person, that when the fans can say anything or do things, it's disruptive."
Stringer challenged her to overcome the negative publicity this time around, and so far, she has. In Rutgers's two NCAA games in Connecticut, Pondexter averaged nearly 24 points and four assists.
"I can definitely give thanks to Coach Stringer," Pondexter said. "She likes to remind me what happened a year ago in Chattanooga. I just kind of laid that on my heart and promised that I was never going to let that happen again to myself and my teammates."
Pondexter, who as a partial qualifier sat out her freshman year, announced in February that she will return for another season rather than leave for the WNBA, much to the surprise of many.
"I know I have the potential to be a really great college player," said Pondexter, who has a WNBA logo tattooed on her arm. "So I wanted to leave on a great note. I felt like I had more to contribute to this program."
