UNI’s Kayba Laube: One of the nation’s best 3-point shooters is expanding her game

CEDAR FALLS – When it comes to draining long-range shots, very few players in the nation have been better than Northern Iowa’s Kayba Laube.

A season ago, the Panther senior nailed 85 3-pointers and ranked sixth in the nation in 3-point accuracy, making 45.5 percent of her attempts.

But UNI women’s basketball coach Tanya Warren does not like to label Laube as just a 3-point shooter.

“What I like about Kayba is she has really gotten better defensively, has developed into a tremendous leader,” Warren said Tuesday during the Panthers’ annual media day. “She is more than a 3-point shooter.”

What Warren has seen in offseason workouts from Laube is someone who has worked relentlessly on her mid-range jumper and getting to the rim and finishing in addition to being a better defender.

That is the player Warren said UNI needs to see to chase a Missouri Valley Conference title the team has set its eyes on.

“She’s also become a good passer,” Warren said. “You will see more than just 3s from Kayba. She has done a nice job of making her game well rounded.”

Laube said becoming a more complete player was a focus in the offseason where she mixed up different parts of her game to work on in addition to getting in her daily shooting.

“I split it up by days,” Laube said. “Some days it was just stationary 3s, then some days movement 3s. Then pull-up Js and sometimes I’d just do post-up moves to get foot work down.

“I worked on other aspects of my game, too, whether that is taking it to the hole, passing, running some plays as the point guard … getting to different spots on the floor so teams just can’t scout my 3-point game.”

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But make no mistake, Laube can shoot.

She helped lead Marion High School to three state title games while earning all-state honors three times, making 317 3-pointers as a four-year starter.

In her first three seasons with UNI that was her specialty, coming off the bench and stretching defenses. Then Laube broke out last year for the Panthers, making 26 starts after coming off the bench 90 times previously. She nearly doubled her production in made 3-pointers, points and rebounds.

Laube finished her junior campaign averaging 10.2 points and 3.6 rebounds after averaging 5.1 and 2.1 as a sophomore.

She enters her final season with 192 career 3-point makes, and if Laube can match or exceed last year’s 85 makes, she has a chance to become UNI’s all-time leader in that category.

Jacqui Kalin made 265 from 2007 to 2013. Currently, Laube ranks seventh on that list, eight short of Emily Berry, who made 200 from 2001-05.

Of the players who ranked higher than her in 3-point accuracy last year, only South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao made more (87). Laube’s 85 good 3-pointers ranked her 22nd in the country.

“Obviously, she shoots a lot of 3s,” Warren said. “She is efficient, sixth in the country last season.”