If you take a look at a stat sheet from a recent West Virginia women's basketball game, there is one name in particular that seems to pop up in just about every category.
Redshirt sophomore guard Christal Caldwell has been on a tear, and at this rate, there's no telling when it might end.
The 5-foot-9 Florida transfer has averaged 15.2 points and 8.3 rebounds over the past six games – five of which the Mountaineers have won.
It seems Caldwell has fully adjusted to playing as a Mountaineer, and her increased level of comfort is already starting to pay dividends.
"I think I'm just a lot more relaxed," she said. "(I'm) learning how to play with my teammates a lot more (and) learning my roles and what my coaches want me to do."
"(Also) having confidence in my teammates and my teammates having confidence in me (and) just going out there and playing (helps)," she said.
Despite her small stature, Caldwell continually dives into the paint and challenges opposing post players – and sometimes even her own teammates – for rebounds.
Just ask junior center Asya Bussie.
"I don't know what it is, (but Caldwell) is always getting to the boards and getting rebounds," she said. "I remember one time I had to take the ball from her because I thought it was somebody from the other team. She's always in the paint."
Caldwell's rebounding exploits are a point of emphasis for head coach Mike Carey, and she likes the idea of Carey counting on her to help the post players in the rebounding department.
"Coach just talks about me being another guard rebounder," she said. "He thinks I'm athletic enough to go in and grab some boards."
Carey also likes what Caldwell has done on the offensive end. With the team's leading scorer, sophomore guard Taylor Palmer, on a recent cold spell, Caldwell's scoring has been all the more crucial.
"It's very important – it gives us another scorer," Carey said. "She's playing better – we need her to continue to play better."
"If we could ever get (Palmer), Christal Caldwell and (sophomore guard Brooke) Hampton scoring at the same time ... with our two posts, we're going to put up some points. That hasn't happened yet," he said.
Things have been going well for Caldwell on the court lately, and in her opinion, there isn't a better time to be hitting her stride.
"I try to just go and let the game come to me, and it's actually coming at a good time with Big East play," she said.
There are things that Caldwell believes she and her teammates need to work on, though. One of those places for improvement was on full display Tuesday night against Seton Hall.
The Pirates got a combined 57 of the team's 63 points from three players – a feat Caldwell attributed to poor communication between her and her teammates.
"We didn't play good defense at all," she said. "(We weren't) communicating with each other on a lot of screens.
"We just got lost – we talked about it for the past two days (while) scouting them, and we just didn't really go with the game plan."
Next on the slate for West Virginia is a road trip to Providence, and there are two things that are almost certain to take place: More talking between guards on the defensive end and another balanced performance from the spark plug known as Christal Caldwell.
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