Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Arizona State
Formann's Resurgence Timely for Buffs
February 16, 2023 | Women's Basketball
CU's sharpshooter enjoying a bounce-back season
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 21 Colorado women's basketball team embarks on a two-game swing through the desert this weekend, heading to Arizona State (Friday, 11 a.m.), and No. 18 Arizona (Sunday, Noon) to wrap up the Buffaloes' road season.
Colorado (20-5, 11-3 Pac-12) has 20 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. The team's mark through 14 conference games is also its best since going 14-0 in the 1994-95 season.
The Buffs are clicking on all cylinders heading into the weekend and are staring down a possible first-round bye as the Pac-12 Tournament approaches.
Colorado has four players averaging double-figure scoring this season, led by senior Quay Miller's 14.2 points per game. Senior Jaylyn Sherrod is the only player in the Pac-12 averaging at least 10.0 points and 5.0 assists per game and newcomer Aaronette Vonleh is putting together a strong case for the Pac-12's Most Improved player, averaging 11.8 points per game.
But one of the driving pieces to CU's success this season has been the resurgence of junior Frida Formann. The Buffs' sharpshooter saw almost instant success as a freshman in the 2020-21 COVID season. She played her way into 19 starts and played in all 23 games in her first season, hitting 62 3-pointers with a 40.8 success rate and an average of 12.4 points per game.
The Bagsværd, Denmark, native, saw her production dip to just 7.5 points per game last season and only shot 27.2% from 3-point range.
This season Formann is back to form, hitting 56 3's with a career-high 40.9% mark from behind the arc. She has 14 games of 10 or more points, including a season-high 23 against Arizona. Formann was 8-for-16 from 3-point distance last week, helping her move past Kennedy Leonard for 10th all-time at CU with 159 career 3's.
"I think I'm in a better state mentally this year," Formann said of her return to form. "I like being an upperclassman and having that leadership. Knowing that I have a responsibility for this team to succeed comes first. It doesn't matter how I'm performing. That's kind of secondary to what we're doing as a team.
"I don't think I was selfish [in taking shots last year. I just got caught up in how I was performing a little too much. Sometimes you have seasons where everything goes really well and sometimes it doesn't. Everyone on the team and the coaches just kept reassuring me that I was fine."
Colorado has won its last four since suffering an untimely loss to Southern Cal. In those four games, Formann has scoring totals of 13, 13, 14 and 14. That equates to 13.5 points per game and is second to only Sherrod's 14.8 points which was heavily aided by her career-high 27-point effort against Washington State.
"Frida is really unselfish," head coach JR Payne commented after the WSU game. "When teams player her [tight defensively] like that, she's totally willing to be a screener and someone that can pull the defense and things [away from the ball] like that."
Part of that speaks to the leadership role that Formann has openly embraced this season. She credits Sherrod and Miller for stepping up as the vocal leaders who share more of the public spotlight, but that her leadership is subtler and under the radar.
"I take warmups very seriously," Formann used as an example. "That's the space where I know I have a responsibility to ensure we're ready for a game. I think we all contribute different things, but Quay and Jalylyn have been stepping up in terms of vocal leaders. I'm trying to make sure that we are in a good place mentally and spiritually."
Coming off an NCAA Tournament berth last season, the team has continued to its rise this season with success that hasn't been felt in Boulder for some time. CU is on the verge of its best Pac-12 finish the team is growing in its confidence.
"I think this last road trip to the Oregon's was really good for us," Formann noted. "I think it was a very consistent effort. I was proud of how we powered through those games and the way we dominated at Oregon State. That is where I thought that none of these wins have been a coincidence. We have a really good team and we know what we're doing."
The Buffs and Sun Devils are set for an early 11 a.m. MT tip at Desert Financial Arena on Friday. The team will take on the Wildcats in Tucson at Noon MT. Both games will be on the Pac-12 Networks.
Cory Lopez and Hannah Halteman will have the call on the Colorado Radio Network, the Varsity App and CUBuffs.com/Listen. Pregame coverage will begin 30 minutes to tip.
