Poughkeepsie's Maddy Siegrist enjoying breakout second year with ...

This season for Maddy Siegrist is a bit reminiscent of the 10th grade, when the basketball standout began to flourish and routinely flashed the potential that coaches and teammates believed she had.

“It’s been great,” the Poughkeepsie native said of her second-year breakout with the Dallas Wings. “It almost feels like my sophomore year, where I’ve gotten more used to the style of play and the pace of the game. It feels like things are starting to slow down for me.”

Or, she’s catching up.

Just as she did in her second varsity season at Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Siegrist has emerged as a go-to option, adding more than 10 points per game to her average, and earning props from her peers.

“Coach (Liatricia) Trammell has instilled a lot of confidence and shown belief in me,” said Siegrist, who has started the Wings’ last 10 games. (Arike Ogunbowale) has been so encouraging and helped me step into this bigger role.”

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Siegrist can score in the post, has range extending to the 3-point line, and she has been excellent as an outlet receiver in transition. Her highlights this season have made ESPN and she regularly is featured in the Wings’ social media packages. She’s also gotten public shoutouts from Ogunbowale, a superstar teammate with whom she has forged a friendship.

As well, her ascent comes at a time when the league is more visible than ever. The WNBA has set ratings and attendance records this season, building on the fanfare that was sparked by the last two NCAA tournaments and the attention surrounding Caitlin Clark.

“I think what she's done for women's basketball is great,” Siegrist said of Clark, whom she’ll face for the first time in the regular season when the Wings host the Indiana Fever on July 17. “I’m glad for this and I'm fortunate to be a part of this league, knowing how many incredible players helped build it up and continue to. It's a great time to be involved in women's sports.”

Siegrist led the nation in scoring as a senior at Villanova University and was drafted third overall last year. But the 6-foot-2 forward had a somewhat disappointing rookie season, playing sparse minutes while at a position logjammed with established players.

Injuries this year to veterans Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally cracked open a window of opportunity, and it hasn’t been squandered. Siegrist is averaging 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 53% from the field, and is among the early contenders for the league’s Most Improved Player award.

She first turned heads with her performance in a May 25 win over the Phoenix Mercury, going for 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

“We've had some injuries that created opportunities, but it’s also made it challenging for the team,” Siegrist acknowledged. “Not every day is gonna be great. I’ll miss shots, and sometimes I won’t get as many rebounds as I’d want, but I’m gonna give my best every minute I'm out there.”

In that regard, not much has changed since high school. Siegrist began as a heralded middle school talent who became a decorated star but maintained the humility and zeal of a reserve scrounging for minutes. She also continued to develop skills and expanded her repertoire each season, which made the progress unsurprising.

Siegrist worked last offseason as a special assistant for Villanova basketball, aiding in player development. The benefits were reciprocal, though, as it allowed her to train in a high-level setting. She also played in the Athletes Unlimited women’s basketball league during the winter and excelled there, competing against teams comprised mostly of WNBA players.

Also significant was her work with Seth Brunner, who operates a Philadelphia-based basketball training program. She often competed against men in her sessions there.

“He'd bring in three or four guys of different body types to guard me,” Siegrist said. “There’d be a tall guy, a quick guy, a strong guy. They made it hard to even get open, which was great. There's a need to practice against people who are bigger, stronger and faster. The WNBA is so much more physical than college and you have to be able to play through contact.”

In addition to the immense jump in talent from college, Siegrist said, a major challenge is adjusting to the physicality of the league. That has been a talking point in sports media this spring, most often as it pertains to Clark and Angel Reese.

“There’s a big difference,” Siegrist said. “You have to get used to what gets called and what doesn’t. You're not going to the free throw line every time your hand gets slapped. And people are stronger, so you get bumped and it affects you more than it did in college.”

That’s where the strength training comes in. Oh, and Pilates.

Ogunbowale took Siegrist under her wing last year and their friendship grew during the offseason when the two trained together in Dallas. The three-time All-Star also introduced Siegrist to Pilates, which she said has helped build core strength and improve balance.

That, Siegrist said, “is probably something I’ll continue every offseason.” In addition to skills development, of course. The 24-year-old never has been satisfied with her game and typically pinpoints at least one area to improve, and a few tricks to add to her bag. Ball-handling, she said, will be a focus.

She got better each season at Villanova, eventually set the Big East scoring record, led the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 and was a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year.

But the takeoff from her freshman to sophomore year in college isn’t quite comparable to this now, she said, since “my first season playing in college didn't feel like a ‘freshman year’ because I had the redshirt year where I got to sit and learn… So, it definitely reminds me more of high school.”

Siegrist earned Journal All-Star honors in 10th grade but insisted then she wasn’t good enough. She complemented her post game with face-up moves and a solid mid-range jumper, earning Player of the Year honors as a junior. And still had a similar assessment of herself. A year later, she had developed an excellent 3-point shot. And still...

In her estimation, becoming one of the better young players in the WNBA certainly isn’t enough.

“I’ll never put a ceiling on myself,” Siegrist said. “There’s always more to learn, more to add. I’ve gotta keep working at it.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4