Whenever an athlete makes the transition from one league or school to another, they oftentimes must go through a period of growing pains before they can adapt to their surroundings and make a lasting impact on their team.

For Carolann Cloutier, a redshirt sophomore guard for the Massachusetts women’s basketball team, it seems as though that adjustment period is almost over.

Cloutier, who hails from Montréal, Québec, transferred to UMass last year after completing her freshman season at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. In her time at ODU, Cloutier averaged just over 17 minutes and scored three points per game while appearing in all 33 games on the season.

As per NCAA rules concerning transfer athletes, Cloutier had to sit out the entirety of last season. Now, as she continues play in her first official season in a UMass uniform, Cloutier is making strong impressions with her performances on the court.

“She gets better every day,” said UMass coach Sharon Dawley. “I think it is hard when you are a redshirt because you are rusty from sitting out a whole year, waiting for the opportunity. [When you come back], you are a little more nervous than you normally would be.”

In the Minutewomen’s last game, a 72-67 loss against Ole Miss, Cloutier scored a career-high 15 points and earned four assists and one steal while playing the full 40 minutes. Cloutier is currently averaging 7.4 points per game and leads the team in assists with 25 and steals with six.

“[Cloutier] had 15 points last game, but she could have easily had 25,” said Dawley. “She attacks the basket as well as she can for 40 minutes and we just tell her that want her to put her head down and go as hard as she can.”

Cloutier has developed throughout the course of the season, establishing her own rhythms with her teammates and in the offensive zone. With every game, her contributions to the offense become more substantial and more significant. In addition to her offensive production, she also averages 35 minutes of playing time per game, a testament to both her endurance and her versatility on both ends of the court.

As her presence on the stat sheets continues to grow, so too does her role in the locker room. Cloutier has begun to lead by example through her work ethic and emotion during both games and practice. Her constant drive and energy around her teammates has proven critical to the team’s growth as a whole.

This extra effort has not gone unrecognized by the coaching staff. In every practice after a game, the coaches vote for the player they feel had the most heart throughout the course of the game. Once they have reached a decision, the winner gets to wear a heart jersey, recognizing her all-around efforts in the game. In Monday’s practice, Cloutier was the player wearing the jersey.

“We give a heart jersey to the person who played with the most heart in a game situation,” said Dawley. “It was a tough decision because there were a few players that played very hard throughout the game and this was the first time that we really had to vote as a staff over who got the heart jersey. It went to Carolann because she had an overall great game and a great effort.”

As the Minutewomen prepare for a tough stretch of road games against Quinnipiac, George Mason and Boston College, they must stick to their offensive strategy and play tight defense in their own zone. Not surprisingly, Cloutier will play a big part in both areas throughout the coming games.

David Martin can be reached at [email protected].