TAMPA, FL. - USF Women’s Basketball is doing what it does best: Winning.

In a season dominated by COVID, the Bulls are dominating on the court. And it all starts with junior point guard, Elisa Pinzan.

“She’s grown up a lot, maturity wise,” said USF women’s basketball head coach Jose Fernandez. “Her approach to the game, the way that she practices. Right now she’s got to be playing just as good as anybody at that position in the country.”

Pinzan is one of the best distributers in the nation, and leads the American in assists. But this year her focus has been to lead her team.

“I think the biggest thing that she’s done is she’s really gotten the respect of her teammates in that locker room,” said Fernandez.

She’s also earned the respect of her coach.

“It just feels good when your coach trusts you and can explain something to you and then I can explain to him something else,” said Pinzan.

But it hasn’t always been smoothing sailing between player and coach.

“We’ve banged heads a lot these first two years,” said Fernandez, who joked, “She’s Italian, I’m Spanish. We aren’t going to agree on a whole lot. But we got to to find that good medium.”

“I feel like we get along more and he’s trusting me more and I’m trusting him more,” said Pinzan.

Trust is an important word when you’re going through a global pandemic.

One area where Pinzan is not afraid to flex her leadership role is when it comes to following facemask protocols.

“We see freshman not wearing it or wearing it under the nose – we speak up and say ‘you have to wear your mask,’” said Pinzan. “We cannot allow COVID or little details that we don’t respect to screw our season.”

“This team has the ability to do something special and not only that, but carry it for the next 2-3 years,” said Fernandez.

While the focus is on winning the Bulls’ first conference title, there is an eye on the future for Pinzan. She has visions of being on the sidelines calling the shots just like Fernandez.

“I think she would be great on the international side for FIBA or even on the professional level,” said Fernandez.

“I’d like to push the team (like Coach Jose). Push your players. He’s someone that can make you have a different solution, and why you are doing your action,” said Pinan.

Pinzan knows why she is at USF. Her goal is not to be good. It’s to be great. She hopes to raise the Bulls to new height this March.  But just like a coach, Pinzan keeps things simple.

“One day at a time and you’ll see what you’re going to get,” said Pinzan.