Shock's Holt Quietly Becoming a Star

Originally Published: May 28, 2010 4:37 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma –Bright spots have been hard to come by early on this season for the Tulsa Shock. That’s why Amber Holt’s play brings a smile to Nolan Richardson’s face.

“She has been the answer every ball game,” the head coach beamed. “She is maybe the player I would say is the most consistent on this team because she’s going to play defense and score around the basket.”

Through four games this season, Holt has become a stat-sheet stuffer. The third- year player from Middle Tennessee State is averaging a team-high 14.8 points and is tied for third on the team in rebounds at 3.5 per game.

The praise from her coach brings a shy smile to the timid talent’s face.

“I feel good,” she said in the locker room after a tough home loss to Phoenix, “but my other teammates have to get into it too.”

Holt scored 20 points against the defending WNBA champions. She found her way to the basket in a variety of ways. She slashed to the hoop without the ball for a backdoor layup and a few possessions later hit a spinning runner in the lane.

Holt has played more minutes than anyone in a Shock jersey this season and has become a lead-by-example player.

“She’s a quiet killer,” said Nolan. “You don’t know that she’s getting the points or the rebounds or the steals or the touches until you look at the stat sheet.”

The intangible gives Holt the guts to make plays like her third quarter rocket pass to Chante Black for a layup against Phoenix. It allows her to risk a pull-up 3-pointer in transition with a hand in her face. It also gives her the boldness to make amends for the team’s slow start.

“The fans,” she said after the loss on Tuesday night, “we got you. The next home game, we’ve got you.”

Tulsa hosts the Indiana Fever Saturday at 7 p.m.