Shawntinice Polk UA women's center

All the best seem to be known by one name ÷ Shaq, Kobe, Duncan and Jordan.

If Arizona women's basketball player Shawntinice Polk has her way, she will be known by a single name also ÷ Polkey.

Jonathan Norris, the UA public address announcer, called her Polkey every time she stepped on the court last night during the Red-Blue game, and the UA media relations department has asked all media to call her Polkey for the rest of her career in Tucson.

But does a redshirt freshman basketball player deserve the one-name connotation?

"I think I do," she said with a smile. "The problem is, people can't pronounce my first name."

It's Shawntinice.

The Parade All-American recruit from Hanford, Calif. öö possibly the most highly touted recruit to ever be signed by the women's basketball team öö has also been called "Baby Shaq" since she first arrived in Tucson in 2000, but last night resembled another player who is known by one name: "Magic."

On one play, she stole the ball, brought it all the way up the court and made a perfect bounce pass to freshman Natalie Jones.

"I see an open teammate and I try to get a teammate the ball any way I can," she said. "Sometimes, I try to get a little handles and bring the ball down court a little bit. If I get the ball off a steal, I'm going to the hoop."

At times last night, Polkey passed the ball as quickly and as smoothly as the greatest point guard of all time, but the difference is that Polkey is a 6-foot-5 center. Of course, she is not up to the level of Magic handling the basketball, but for a player who hasn't competed in an organized game in over two years, she continuously found her open teammates under the basket for easy buckets.

"I'm more of a center in a point guard's body," she said. "I love passing the basketball."

And that she did last night. Polkey had six assists and could have easily had four more, but her teammates missed shots they would usually make.

The only problem is she also passed up a lot of easy shots. As the tallest player on the court by three inches, she could have taken many more shots on the night. She did finish 6-of-10 for 14 points, however.

"She is not a very selfish girl out there. She needs to be more selfish sometimes," senior Krista Warren said. "I think she needs to shoot even more."

She does have a nice shot from the outside.

During practice, she launches up three-pointers and makes just about as many as she misses. She even said last night that she expects to make at least five three-pointers this season.

But if that is a problem with UA head coach Joan Bonvicini, all she has to do is yell one word to get her star freshman's attention.

Shawntinice.