Washington University of St. Louis basketball coach Nancy Fahey laughs at the end of the phone interview.
"You," she said to the reporter, "can probably tell the kind of person I am."
Yes we can. It's not too tough.
She sounds like the type who knows not to jinx a good thing.
How good a chance does her team, the two-time defending women's national champions have at a three-peat?
Consider the following.
The Bears return the two-time national player of the year in senior center Alia Fischer who -- despite breaking her right hand over the summer -- is a devastating presence inside at 6-foot-2 and can shoot a hook shot from the baseline with either hand. She's a French major as well, so a career playing overseas isn't out of the realm of possibility.
The Bears return 5-foot-10 junior forward Tasha Rodgers, who probably is among the 10 best players nationally and who played her best basketball in the Final Four, scoring 44 points in two games.
"I feel very fortunate," said Fahey, "to have two players that complement each other so well."
The Bears return 5-foot-9 senior guard Sue Tucker, who, if the previous two players are covered, can step out and hit 47 percent from three-point range, a figure she attained last season.
The Bears return another of four starters in senior guard Emily Harold, and a bench that includes senior guard Beth Ruether and junior guard Kjersten Kramer, both of whom came in cold to hit key three-pointers in the final 10 minutes of the national championship game, a 74-65 win over St. Benedict.
The Bears return a defensive system that limited
all-america candidates, St. Benedict's center Laura Wendorff and Scranton guard Kelly
Halpin, to virtually nonexistent roles in their team's defeats.
This is why Scranton coach Mike Strong put his head in his hands and sighed after the 74-65 loss in the national semifinal.
This is why St. Benedict coach Mike Durbin laughed as he asked Rodgers if she had plans to graduate any quicker.
This is why the Bears are the best team in the nation.
"With a lot of people returning, that's a good thing," said Fahey, whose team comes into the season with a 38-game win streak, "until you get out and play. It's a matter of executing with what you have. The longer you (coach), the more you realize that a lot of little things have to come together."
Fahey's been around a bit, so that's something she knows well. Going 5-17 her first season as the head girls' basketball coach at Johnsburg High in McHenry, Ill., didn't deter her at all.
"That was an education," Fahey said with a chuckle. "It was one of the best things that happened though. It gives you a sense of why you (coach). I've tried to avoid (losing like that)."
Among that which she learned is the coach-speak that she still spouts today. Fahey is careful with what she says. She knows an injury or two could change things. She knows that teams will be gunning for hers every night. She knows that having faced double-digit deficits against NYU and Wisconsin Oshkosh (in the national quarterfinal) and having been taken to overtime by Capital (in the Sweet 16) just how close her team was to losing -- and how many breaks it will need to find itself in the same position again.
She knows that it's necessary to take things one game at a time.
"There are going to be so many good teams," Fahey said. "I'm just worried about (opening night) against Beloit."
