University of Georgia Athletics
‘Smiley’ All Business On Defense
March 21, 2021 | Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Que Morrison has a game face, a steely-eyed gaze that shows up often on the basketball court. The Georgia senior's default look, however, is a bright and brilliant smile.
"They always called me 'Smiley' growing up," she said with, naturally, a big smile. "I like to smile. I love being positive — I hate being mad, I really do, because it's just no fun being mad."
It's also not much fun being guarded on the court by Morrison, the 5-foot-7 guard who earlier this month was named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. On Monday, Georgia, a No. 3 seed, takes on No. 14-seeded Drexel in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championships, in San Antonio.
"She's super energetic. She's our source of energy on the court," said fellow senior Gabby Connally, a San Antonio native. "She is very, very good defensively. I think she's the best in the country in terms of perimeter defense.
"She just brings that energy — it's infectious and it carries over to all of us. And she plays so hard every second she's out there on the floor and that's what we all try to emulate and be like her in that way."
In the words of teammate Jenna Staiti, another senior starter on this veteran squad that is 20-6 this season, Morrison is "an energy ball."
Morrison's tendency to smile a lot of the time, even on the basketball court after a good play, long ago earned her the nickname "Smiley." The day she learned that she'd been named the SEC's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, on March 3, she was positively beaming.
Morrison, from Riverdale, Ga., learned about the award when her coach, Joni Taylor, called to give her a heads up. It was a special day for player and coach, with Taylor being named the SEC's Coach of the Year.
Morrison was preparing to give a presentation in class when Taylor told her about the award so she didn't have much time to celebrate the honor. She shared the award with Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, a 6-5 inside force.
"What really gets her going, if you ask her, is if I start dancing," Taylor said Friday. "I dance around with them all the time, but if I break out into a dance, she gets the biggest smile, gets hyped and is really excited."
Morrison also gets excited about playing good defense against good players. Two Drexel (14-8) players that Morrison and the Lady Bulldogs will have to defend well are guards Keishana Washington and Hannah Nihill, the Dragons' top two scorers.
The 5-7 Washington lit up the CAA tourney and was named the Most Outstanding Player. She scored 35 in Drexel's semifinal win and 30 in the championship game, and is averaging 15.0 points per game for the season. The 5-3 Nihill averages 16.0 a game and has made 37.3% of her 118 3-point attempts this season
"Que Morrison will see a lot of everybody. Hill, Washington, I mean their guards are tough," Taylor said. "We are going to probably start her on Hill, and we will have her guard a few people depending on who has a hot hand. ... We will switch out as we need to and put Que on whoever that ends up being if we can."
Morrison has improved defensively since she arrived at Georgia, but the foundation for her defense was laid before she came to college. She credits her AAU coach, Kirk Pointer, with instilling her defensive mindset when she was younger.
"He loved defense because he knew it brought the energy, and that's exactly how it is here at Georgia," Morrison said. "Being able to have that to carry over has been something that's been in my favor."
As a freshman, Morrison started all but one game and was a defensive presence right away, getting 41 steals during the 2017-18 season. Injuries slowed her down or kept her off the court as a sophomore and junior, but over those two seasons she still got a combined 54 steals.
Morrison has been healthy, happy and aggressive at both ends of the floor this season, and it has shown in her numbers. She leads the Lady Bulldogs in assists with 3.4 per game, is third on the team with 11.8 points per game and her 5.2 rebounds rank second. She also leads the team with 50 steals, one of five Lady Bulldogs with at least 20.
While her body is in good shape, Morrison said her brain is her best defensive weapon. She studies the players she's going to guard so that she knows their tendencies and abilities, and then she reads their movements on the court.
"It's all up in my head, trying to look at their hips and knowing which direction they're possibly fixing to go," she said. "That's how I pretty much operate with it, and I've had success."
Driven to defend, driven to succeed, driven to make the most of every chance she has to get on the court after so many injuries, Morrison has plenty of reasons to smile.
Staff Writer
Que Morrison has a game face, a steely-eyed gaze that shows up often on the basketball court. The Georgia senior's default look, however, is a bright and brilliant smile.
"They always called me 'Smiley' growing up," she said with, naturally, a big smile. "I like to smile. I love being positive — I hate being mad, I really do, because it's just no fun being mad."
It's also not much fun being guarded on the court by Morrison, the 5-foot-7 guard who earlier this month was named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. On Monday, Georgia, a No. 3 seed, takes on No. 14-seeded Drexel in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championships, in San Antonio.
"She's super energetic. She's our source of energy on the court," said fellow senior Gabby Connally, a San Antonio native. "She is very, very good defensively. I think she's the best in the country in terms of perimeter defense.
"She just brings that energy — it's infectious and it carries over to all of us. And she plays so hard every second she's out there on the floor and that's what we all try to emulate and be like her in that way."
In the words of teammate Jenna Staiti, another senior starter on this veteran squad that is 20-6 this season, Morrison is "an energy ball."
Morrison's tendency to smile a lot of the time, even on the basketball court after a good play, long ago earned her the nickname "Smiley." The day she learned that she'd been named the SEC's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, on March 3, she was positively beaming.
Morrison, from Riverdale, Ga., learned about the award when her coach, Joni Taylor, called to give her a heads up. It was a special day for player and coach, with Taylor being named the SEC's Coach of the Year.
Morrison was preparing to give a presentation in class when Taylor told her about the award so she didn't have much time to celebrate the honor. She shared the award with Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, a 6-5 inside force.
"What really gets her going, if you ask her, is if I start dancing," Taylor said Friday. "I dance around with them all the time, but if I break out into a dance, she gets the biggest smile, gets hyped and is really excited."
Morrison also gets excited about playing good defense against good players. Two Drexel (14-8) players that Morrison and the Lady Bulldogs will have to defend well are guards Keishana Washington and Hannah Nihill, the Dragons' top two scorers.
The 5-7 Washington lit up the CAA tourney and was named the Most Outstanding Player. She scored 35 in Drexel's semifinal win and 30 in the championship game, and is averaging 15.0 points per game for the season. The 5-3 Nihill averages 16.0 a game and has made 37.3% of her 118 3-point attempts this season
"Que Morrison will see a lot of everybody. Hill, Washington, I mean their guards are tough," Taylor said. "We are going to probably start her on Hill, and we will have her guard a few people depending on who has a hot hand. ... We will switch out as we need to and put Que on whoever that ends up being if we can."
Morrison has improved defensively since she arrived at Georgia, but the foundation for her defense was laid before she came to college. She credits her AAU coach, Kirk Pointer, with instilling her defensive mindset when she was younger.
"He loved defense because he knew it brought the energy, and that's exactly how it is here at Georgia," Morrison said. "Being able to have that to carry over has been something that's been in my favor."
As a freshman, Morrison started all but one game and was a defensive presence right away, getting 41 steals during the 2017-18 season. Injuries slowed her down or kept her off the court as a sophomore and junior, but over those two seasons she still got a combined 54 steals.
Morrison has been healthy, happy and aggressive at both ends of the floor this season, and it has shown in her numbers. She leads the Lady Bulldogs in assists with 3.4 per game, is third on the team with 11.8 points per game and her 5.2 rebounds rank second. She also leads the team with 50 steals, one of five Lady Bulldogs with at least 20.
While her body is in good shape, Morrison said her brain is her best defensive weapon. She studies the players she's going to guard so that she knows their tendencies and abilities, and then she reads their movements on the court.
"It's all up in my head, trying to look at their hips and knowing which direction they're possibly fixing to go," she said. "That's how I pretty much operate with it, and I've had success."
Driven to defend, driven to succeed, driven to make the most of every chance she has to get on the court after so many injuries, Morrison has plenty of reasons to smile.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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