Florida State Women's Basketball: Snoop Turnage a Valuable Asset in the Starting Lineup

Great coaches make necessary adjustments during the season. They sit on the sideline or in the film room and notice something that can change within the team. That’s what Florida State Seminoles head coach Brooke Wyckoff did as she replaced Alexis Tucker as a starter for Brianna “Snoop” Turnage in the middle of January. 

On January 4, the Noles lost their first ACC matchup of the season against the NC State Wolfpack. Give credit to the team for continuing to fight as they crawled their way back into the contest. Unfortunately, they fell short in the overtime period. There were moments in the contest where NC State utilized their size to their advantage. They continued to find high-quality shots inside and finish with easy opportunities. 

As the Noles prepared for their next matchup Sunday afternoon against the Clemson Tigers, Snoop Turnage was added to the starting lineup. She provided more size in the frontcourt playing next to Makayla Timpson and her attention to detail on defense was needed. Throughout her tenure at Florida State, Turnage has been known for her defense. She may be a hit or miss on offense but the other side of the floor is where she thrives the most. 

What makes Turnage great defensively is the ability to be interchangeable. She can guard any position on the floor and her length and quickness give offensive players difficulty. As Turnage became a starter, Florida State went on a three-game winning streak where they beat Clemson, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Turnage has had the assignment with everyone from switching onto Deja Kelly, slowing down Alyssa Utsby, while even getting some stops against Elizabeth Kitley as well. In the contest against North Carolina, Turnage did a great job of getting into the passing lanes and forcing turnovers for the other team. 

As I mentioned before, Snoop Turnage is not known for her offense. She's only averaging 2.4 points on 31 percent for her career. However, it’s not a glaring stat as she plays next to gifted scorers like Ta’Niya Latson, Sara Bejedi, O’Mariah Gordon, and others. With so much attention players like Latson and Bejedi get from the defense, oftentimes the ball will find its way to Turnage. Sometimes she’ll shoot the ball with confidence or second guess herself and hesitate to make a play. 

The key for Turnage is to continue to grow confidence on the offensive end. She’s at her best when she shoots the ball in rhythm and makes the defense pay for leaving her open. Turnage will continue to receive open looks on the perimeter due to the offensive players that she’s in the lineup with. As long as she continues to shoot with confidence, coach Wyckoff will be happy with the results. 

Since Turnage was placed in the starting lineup, she’s decided at least one block or one steal in six of her seven games. She’s also been a rebounding machine as she’s recorded 5+ boards in all seven starts. As the Noles went on a three-game losing streak. Turnage played a big role against Georgia Tech as she recorded seven rebounds and one blocked shot. Switching her into the starting lineup has been a key ingredient for Brooke Wyckoff and the Seminoles. Turnage has continued to help Florida State elevate as one of the best in the conference and they look to capitalize off their success Sunday afternoon against Miami.