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More To Ratay Than Just A Pretty Shot

By Chris Masters

Some college basketball players take the floor and move with grace and fluidity that makes their talent appear effortless. A flick of the wrist, a snap of the net, and another shot has found its way to pay dirt. For Notre Dame junior guard Alicia Ratay, her uncanny ability to shoot a basketball appears as natural as, well, breathing.

“I watched her in warm-ups and if you were to take a breath every time Ratay made a shot, you’d never go without air,” Valparaiso head coach Keith Freeman said.

“What’s even more amazing is you can tell right away when it leaves her hand that it’s going down. She’s one of the best pure shooters in the country today.”

Such glowing praise from an opposing head coach might lead some players to become overconfident. Surely, between the All-America honors, all-BIG EAST Conference selections, the 2000 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year award, and back-to-back preseason Naismith Award nominations, it would be easy for Ratay to give in to the accolades being thrown her way.

However, the exact opposite holds true for the Lake Zurich, Ill., native, who actually appears uncomfortable and even a bit overwhelmed by the attention and the growing list of basketball hardware that has been laid at her feet.

“It’s an honor for someone to say those nice things about you,” Ratay said.

“But, I’m definitely not the kind of person who likes the spotlight. In the back of my mind, it’s almost like a little added pressure that I have to block out.”

Ratay has been an all-star in both the academic and athletic arenas during her Irish career. As a sophomore last season, she averaged 12.9 points per game and set an NCAA record for three-point percentage, hitting a staggering 54.7 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. She was a third-team all-BIG EAST selection and earned a spot on the NCAA Midwest Regional all-tournament team while helping Notre Dame claim its first national championship. In addition, she was named to the Dean’s List and garnered a spot on the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team, one of five Irish players to be so recognized.

However, through all of her success last season, it was hard for many people to know how Ratay felt about it. Whether ringing up 20 points and hitting four-of-five three-pointers in an NCAA semifinal win over Connecticut, or going one-for-six in the national championship game against Purdue, Ratay always appeared cool and calm. It’s as if she was playing just another pickup game on a Saturday afternoon back home in Lake Zurich.

“Actually, I’m a pretty emotional person off the court,” Ratay said.

“On the court, I try to stay in the game and stay the same, whether we’re up or we’re down. That’s just how I’ve always been.”

For all the experience Ratay gained in her first two seasons at Notre Dame, she wasn’t entirely prepared for what loomed on the horizon this year. With the graduation of All-Americans Ruth Riley and Niele Ivey, Ratay’s role immediately changed from a supplemental player on a national champion to being the focal point of the new Irish offense. Naturally, opponents realized Notre Dame would look to its junior sharpshooter for offensive punch.

Ratay answered the challenge by developing other parts of her game. During her first two seasons, she had been primarily a spot-up shooter, allowing Riley and Ivey to break down a defense. This year, Ratay has been the one breaking down defenses, averaging 13.4 points per game while moving inside the three-point line and diversifying her offensive arsenal. Although she might prefer to pump in a long distance shot, she has tried just 93 three-pointers, hitting 39 for a 41.9 percent success ratio. She also has gone to the free throw line more often this season, canning 75-of-85 charities (.882).

“Alicia has had to work very hard for her shots this year because defenses are keying to stop her,” Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said.

“She is doing a better job of working off screens and fighting to get open. And, once she gets open, she’s taking advantage of her opportunities and making her shots.”

It’s very possible that Ratay’s current development will translate into a professional basketball career down the road. Surely, the demand for one of the nation’s top perimeter players will be great when the final curtain falls to end the 2002-03 season. Yet, when you ask Ratay what she sees herself doing when her college days are over, the immediate response doesn’t center around basketball.

“I want to have a family, with the husband and the kids and the whole thing,” Ratay said.

“I guess I’m trying to focus on the present, but it does cross my mind about what lies ahead in the future and where I’m going to be in a couple of years. But there are still some things I want to do before I’m done here, like win the BIG EAST Tournament which is something we’ve never done. I just want to keep playing and helping my team to get better so we can get back to the top again.”