KNOXVILLE — Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is as quiet as they come.
Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood never stops talking.
It seems like going from one extreme to the other has been the early theme of the freshman point guard's career at Tennessee. Silent on the floor and a chatterbox when she is in her dorm room with teammate Alexis Hornbuckle, Wiley-Gatewood is still learning what it's like to be a collegiate student-athlete.
Over the past two months she has gone from a player who was suspended from the team twice to playing as many minutes as any point guard on the roster.
''When I first got here, I was so uncomfortable with what to do and how to react to the homework and all the studying,'' Wiley-Gatewood said.
It hasn't just been the schoolwork, either. Wiley-Gatewood, from Pomona, Calif., had to make the switch from the casual, relaxed atmosphere of Southern California to the regimented world of Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt.
''Every one of our players goes through an adjustment period,'' Summitt said. ''But some are more challenged than others.''
Wiley-Gatewood would definitely admit that was the case for her, but Summitt couldn't be happier with the player that she sees developing. The freshman has quickness, a nice outside shot and probably the best court vision of any of the Lady Vols' three point guards.
While she is still usually the third one to come in — after Hornbuckle and senior Loree Moore — her minutes have seen a dramatic upturn in the past two weeks. In the 91-82 overtime win over Florida on Thursday she played 27 minutes, just as many as Moore and six more than Hornbuckle.
''You have got to play at a different level on the defensive end,'' Summitt told her during the overtime period. ''She goes, 'I got you Coach.' And she did. She goes out and denies their point guard, not because she was instructed to do so, but … it was the best defense we had late.''
So what clicked for the freshman?
Wiley-Gatewood left town and went home in early December without telling the coaching staff. That was just a day after she had been cleared by the doctors to play in her first game, after she missed the start of the season with tendinitis.
Summitt held her out of the next two games, and she made her collegiate debut on Dec. 19 against TCU. She scored nine points, dished out four assists and made four steals. On Jan. 13, Wiley-Gatewood was suspended again — this time for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
''I think reality hit,'' Hornbuckle said. ''I'm not going to be babied. This is serious. This is my life. I think it really hit her that this is my life and my future, and I've got to choose how to handle it. I'd say she's chosen to handle it the right way now.''
Part of that influence may have come from Hornbuckle.
The freshmen point guards had known each other through AAU for many years, and it was Hornbuckle that would wake Wiley-Gatewood up early in the year to send her off to class.
''I think she's starting to mature and grow up, day-by-day, slowly but surely,'' Hornbuckle said. ''It's starting to show.''
But they are both still very much teenagers.
''We joke,'' Hornbuckle said. ''We fight like sisters. Before every game, we wrestle.''
Wrestle?
''Out of five…I'd win three, she'd win two,'' Wiley-Gatewood said, laughing.
And usually Hornbuckle can't get her to be quiet when she's trying to go to sleep.
''She says the most off-the-wall things, and you're just like, 'Where did that come from?' '' Hornbuckle said. ''All the time, I'm laughing, I'm smiling. The girl is just like a bolt of energy 24/7.''
She never stops talking. She's as quiet as they come.
Fluker not back: Junior center Tye'sha Fluker is still in Pasadena, Calif., after her grandmother passed away this week.
Fluker missed last Thursday's game against Florida, and she will also miss today's game against Ole Miss. Summitt said the services would likely be Tuesday or Wednesday, and Fluker's status for Thursday's game at No. 1 LSU is still unknown.
Parker practices: Freshman Candace Parker went through a light, shooting-oriented practice yesterday.
Trainer Jenny Moshak told Summitt that the swelling had gone down in Parker's knee, and they could test her out in practice yesterday.
If there is no swelling on Monday, they will talk about letting her participate in part of a full-court, up-and-down practice. Summitt wants Parker to get two full weeks of practice before playing her in a game.
Parker, the only two-time USA Today high school player of the year, had reconstructive knee surgery in the preseason. Even though the postseason is rapidly approaching, Summitt said she would still consider pulling Parker's redshirt if she is healthy.
''With a player like this? Absolutely,'' Summitt said.
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