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Q&A: freshman Ana Llanusa
With her feet bouncing off the floor at the women’s practice gym inside Lloyd Noble Center, Ana Llanusa feels at home. Out of Choctaw High School, the five-star recruit is living her dream. She committed to the University of Oklahoma following a breakout freshman year with the Yellowjackets and has waited for her Sooner moment ever since. When OU plays an exhibition game against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 7, she’ll finally get to don a game jersey and begin to leave her mark on a program she’s supported since childhood. Plenty of work remains before she gets there. The freshman guard has been in the gym, playing pick-up games and training with her teammates this summer. The Norman Transcript caught up with Llanusa recently during her workouts, giving her a chance to speak about the upcoming season, the transition from high school to college and her thoughts on being in the Sooner program.
Q: You’ve always wanted to be a part of this program. What has it been like to finally get your feet on the floor?
Llanusa: It’s just been amazing. The girls are amazing. They are always willing to help, willing to teach me something new. Coach Sherri Coale is amazing, the coaching staff, they are all great. I’ve learned so much here, and I’ve gotten a lot better in every aspect.
Q: On the whiteboard at practice there were specific instructions for you. What has that been like, the personalized touch that comes at this level?
Llanusa: I like it a lot. Someone is really taking the time to make sure that you’re comfortable with what everybody else is doing, and make sure you’re learning all the stuff that everybody else knows. I like that they take the time to make sure I’m comfortable. The more comfortable you are with all this stuff that you’re learning, the better you’re going to be.
Q: Choctaw is part of the Oklahoma City metro, but it still has a small-town feel to it. Being from Choctaw and wearing the OU jersey, what does that mean to you?
Llanusa: It’s just such a surreal feeling. It’s been my dream to play here my entire life. Choctaw is a small town, but small towns, they have so much passion. Carrying that over here is going to be great. I’m going to have a lot of support from my Choctaw family down here. Getting here just increases the love and support.
Q: You talk about that passion. How has that prepared you for being a Sooner?
Llanusa: It’s prepared me a lot. People are so passionate about it and they want me to succeed. It just makes me work harder. I try to get better every day, just to*From Page B1 try to make sure I’m meeting their expectations.
Q: With the transfers of Chelsea Dungee and Nancy Mulkey, leading to a limited roster, how has coach Coale handled this offseason?
Llanusa: Coach Coale has been amazing with every part of it. Even though we have [only 11 players] on our team, that’s not going to stop us from being great. She makes sure we work hard every day. We’re always going to work hard every day. I don’t think she looks at it as a drawback or a setback, and as long as she doesn’t, that helps us not to think that way.
Q: What’s it like having a sixth-year graduate Maddie Manning on the team to draw some experience from?
Llanusa: I was really excited that Maddie came back [to play] another year. She knows a lot and she can teach you a lot. Just watching her, I learn so much. Then, she sits down with me and explains stuff to me. I learn a lot from all of it. It’s just really important to have somebody who just knows what’s going on and is so familiar with everything.
With her feet bouncing off the floor at the women’s practice gym inside Lloyd Noble Center, Ana Llanusa feels at home. Out of Choctaw High School, the five-star recruit is living her dream. She committed to the University of Oklahoma following a breakout freshman year with the Yellowjackets and has waited for her Sooner moment ever since. When OU plays an exhibition game against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 7, she’ll finally get to don a game jersey and begin to leave her mark on a program she’s supported since childhood. Plenty of work remains before she gets there. The freshman guard has been in the gym, playing pick-up games and training with her teammates this summer. The Norman Transcript caught up with Llanusa recently during her workouts, giving her a chance to speak about the upcoming season, the transition from high school to college and her thoughts on being in the Sooner program.
Q: You’ve always wanted to be a part of this program. What has it been like to finally get your feet on the floor?
Llanusa: It’s just been amazing. The girls are amazing. They are always willing to help, willing to teach me something new. Coach Sherri Coale is amazing, the coaching staff, they are all great. I’ve learned so much here, and I’ve gotten a lot better in every aspect.
Q: On the whiteboard at practice there were specific instructions for you. What has that been like, the personalized touch that comes at this level?
Llanusa: I like it a lot. Someone is really taking the time to make sure that you’re comfortable with what everybody else is doing, and make sure you’re learning all the stuff that everybody else knows. I like that they take the time to make sure I’m comfortable. The more comfortable you are with all this stuff that you’re learning, the better you’re going to be.
Q: Choctaw is part of the Oklahoma City metro, but it still has a small-town feel to it. Being from Choctaw and wearing the OU jersey, what does that mean to you?
Llanusa: It’s just such a surreal feeling. It’s been my dream to play here my entire life. Choctaw is a small town, but small towns, they have so much passion. Carrying that over here is going to be great. I’m going to have a lot of support from my Choctaw family down here. Getting here just increases the love and support.
Q: You talk about that passion. How has that prepared you for being a Sooner?
Llanusa: It’s prepared me a lot. People are so passionate about it and they want me to succeed. It just makes me work harder. I try to get better every day, just to*From Page B1 try to make sure I’m meeting their expectations.
Q: With the transfers of Chelsea Dungee and Nancy Mulkey, leading to a limited roster, how has coach Coale handled this offseason?
Llanusa: Coach Coale has been amazing with every part of it. Even though we have [only 11 players] on our team, that’s not going to stop us from being great. She makes sure we work hard every day. We’re always going to work hard every day. I don’t think she looks at it as a drawback or a setback, and as long as she doesn’t, that helps us not to think that way.
Q: What’s it like having a sixth-year graduate Maddie Manning on the team to draw some experience from?
Llanusa: I was really excited that Maddie came back [to play] another year. She knows a lot and she can teach you a lot. Just watching her, I learn so much. Then, she sits down with me and explains stuff to me. I learn a lot from all of it. It’s just really important to have somebody who just knows what’s going on and is so familiar with everything.
