What a difference a year can make.

This time last year, current sophomore Krista Clement was running the offense as the Wolverines' freshman point guard. Now, with the addition of freshman Jessica Minnfield, Clement has the opportunity she has long desired - playing out on the wing and showcasing her scoring ability.

Throughout the 2004-05 season, Clement's offensive productivity was stifled because she spent the majority of her time finding shots for others and dishing out the rock, earning a team-high 84 assists in the process. Clement's court vision allowed her to not just visualize plays but to also communicate them to her teammates. Despite having a 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio, Clement would much rather leave playing the point to someone else.

"I love the change from this year to last year, and I think it is not only the change of position but also the girls who I am playing with," Clement said. "It's like we have all changed and just improved our teamwork."

Minnfield's introduction into the starting lineup at the beginning of this season has given Clement the chance to show off her 3-point shooting ability and improve on the dismal 81 shots she attempted from beyond the arc last season. Clement still finds herself running the offense late in the first half, but, with the addition of sophomore Jessica Starling to the team's point guard rotation, Clement should see her minutes in the two-spot increase even more.

With both Minnfield and Clement on the hardwood, new opportunities constantly arise for the Wolverines. While Minnfield calls plays and set up the offense, Clement has time to set up against her defender and find her shot whenever the ball comes her way.

Clement's presence as a two-guard takes the pressure off other players who are often looked to for offensive productivity. Most teams are afraid of leaving Clement, a self-pronounced "zone-buster," unguarded along the perimeter and are less likely to run a zone defense.

"When I am in the post, I always look for Krista when I get double-teamed because she spends a lot of time in the gym," sophomore Ta'Shia Walker said. "She is a phenomenal shooter, and she is just the type of person in a game that I would trust to take the last shot."

In Burnett's words, Clement has the "green-light" regarding shot selection. Five games into the season, Clement has already attempted a team-high 23 3-pointers, converting on just five of those shots. The number doesn't concern Burnett, who feels that as long as Clement continues to take smart shots, there is no reason to switch the light to red anytime soon.

Clement also continues to is still able to vocally lead the team. While she may not always be at point guard, she still communicates with the team, making sure they know what plays to run and what to look for on both ends of the court.

"Krista is an absolutely phenomenal vocal leader, and for me that carries over into everything," Burnett said.

"Offensively, we do a lot of really important communicating of what we want to run, how we want to run it, so there is a very important part of the offense that has to do with that communication."