Suffolk women’s basketball guard and forward Colby Guinta is off to a hot start to the season, being named the Commonwealth Coast Conference Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks.

Despite the recognition, Guinta is more focused on the team than her own personal accomplishments.

“It was a great award to be given, but I’m just trying to focus on being a team player and getting wins on the road and at home. I felt honored to get that award twice in a row,” Guinta said.

Despite it only being Guinta’s rookie season, Guinta clawed her way into the starting lineup. Coach Ed Leyden wants people to know that the starting position wasn’t just given to Guinta, she earned it.

“We don’t give positions away, she’s earned it through hard work and in practice. So far she’s making the transition, which is a really hard one, from high school to college,” said Leyden.

Although she managed to become a starter as a freshman, Guinta notes how it hasn’t exactly been an easy transition from high school to college.

“With anything that’s new, especially being a freshman or having it be your first year at something new, it’s gonna always be challenging. You’re gonna have to figure out a lot of the other things that come with it, with academics, social life, adapting to the new school, everything like that. So there’s definitely been challenges along the way, but basketball’s always been there for me and has always given me an outlet,” said Guinta. “I’ve always had challenges at each level I’ve been at, and the collegiate level’s definitely one that I’ve gotten used to, but there’s never an easy road and I’m just still trying to keep working hard and keep getting better at it every day.”

Guinta’s commitment to bettering herself and her game is something that caught the eye of her coaches and helped her earn that starting spot on opening night.

“She really has a tremendous work ethic. She’s in the gym every single day working on basketball, she follows basketball, she has a high basketball IQ. All that stuff is good. She’s really one of the guys,” Leyden said. “I think she’s made connections with the veterans on the team and the new people.”

Guinta’s commitment to getting better at basketball didn’t just start at Suffolk. She noted how taking a fifth year of high school helped get her ready for the college competition.

“I decided to take a fifth year and go play basketball in Tilton, New Hampshire and that really challenged me a lot and made me get better as I played against really hard opponents and I was around some really high-level kids,” said Guinta. “But I’ve always played basketball for years, and it’s just been something that I love to do and it’s just been so great for me to have an outlet and be able to have something that’s gonna always be there for me.”

Becoming a starter so soon into a collegiate career can be anxiety-inducing for young players, but Guinta notes how stepping onto the basketball court alleviates any nerves she may have.

“It was super awesome, it was definitely a great feeling to come in here and be a starter as a freshman. It was definitely a little bit of a nerve racking experience, obviously, coming into a new place. It’s gonna be a change and it’s gonna be something you adapt to, but once I start playing I just feel so free and I just feel so normal,” said Guinta. 

Although Guinta didn’t shoot much in the team’s opener, only going 2-4 from the field, since then her shot attempts have soared to over 10 attempts per game and her points per game soared alongside it.

Guinta believes that the improvement from her first game is just coming from adapting to the game, finding her stride, and feeding off the belief her teammates and coaches have in her to succeed.

“Coming here in the first few weeks of practice I wasn’t performing as I should’ve, or that I knew that I could. I think it was more that I don’t want other people to see me as a selfish player or other things in that realm, but I think over time once I started to get more comfortable in the game, things just started to come back to me and everything just started to click over time,” said Guinta. “And having the confidence from my teammates and my coaches is really helpful and it’s a great environment to be in when other people believe in you.”

Just like Guinta’s been racking up CCC Rookie of the Week awards consistently, according to coach Leyden, Guinta’s been working on getting more consistent on the court too.

“She’s becoming a little bit more consistent and dependable in practice. She really made an effort to learn the total game, to be more fundamentally sound all the way around. It’s a good group of freshmen and it’s a good group of new players,” said Leyden. “Everybody’s been pretty earnest and are trying to get better.”

Guinta’s successful start to the season has helped contribute to the team’s hot start to the season, with the team going 5-2 through their first seven games.

Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeDiminoSU