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Vital begins her senior season as one of the Pac-10's top point guards...attended Team USA trials, but just missed the cut to be a member of the squad headed to the 2009 World University Games...quick, very athletic, a great passer and understands the game...looks to get her teammates involved first...loves the transition game and brings quickness to the Bears' backcourt...interchangeable at the one or two positions because she has a great feel for the game and can score...capable of scoring off penetration and possesses three-point range and a pull-up jumper...terrific ball handler and has excellent court vision...averaged 21.5 ppg to help the San Francisco team claim the 2008 San Francisco Pro Am summer league title.
As a junior in 2008-09: Honorable mention All-Pac-10, honorable mention Pac-10 All-Defensive for the second consecutive season...started all 34 games, averaging 31.0 minutes per game...led the team with a 39.1 three-point shooting efficiency...scored her 500th career point in the season opener against Albany...scored a career-high 22 points in the opening game of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands against South Florida, going 7-8 from the floor...went 4-5 from three-point range against Princeton...scored 21 points, one shy of her career high, against No. 22 TCU...named to the Colliers International Classic all-tournament team...went 3-3 from three-point range, fueling a second-half comeback against ASU, finishing the game with 19 points...had a five game span from Jan. 22 to Feb. 6 of scoring double-digits in each game, averaging 13.8 ppg...dished six assists in a game four times this season, including at home against Oregon when she had just one turnover...scored 14 points, 13 in the second half, at USC...moved into the top-five on the Cal career assist list in the opener of the Pac-10 Tournament against Washington...scored 10 points with four assists in the Sweet 16 game against UConn. As a sophomore in 2007-08: Chosen honorable mention All-Pac-10, honorable mention Pac-10 All-Defensive and the team's Best Defensive Player...started all 34 games and ranked third in the Pac-10 in minutes (34.79 mpg)...led Cal and ranked fourth in the Pac-10 in assists (4.15 apg)...ranked 10th in the Pac-10 in assist/TO ratio (1.47)...fourth on the Bears in scoring (7.8 ppg, career best)...third on the team in three-point percentage (34.4%) and three-pointers made (33)...more than doubled the 16 three-pointers she made as a freshman...in Pac-10 games, ranked third in the conference in three-point percentage (38.0%) and fourth in assists (4.39 apg)...posted eight double-digit scoring games, including a season-high 18 points in the overtime win at UCLA...tallied 16 points in the home win over UCLA...amassed 17 points to pace Cal at Oregon State...dished off a career-high 12 assists in the home win over Arizona, which was the most assists by a Pac-10 player in 2007-08...tallied at least five assists 11 times...registered seven points, eight assists, two rebounds and two steals vs. San Diego in the first-round NCAA Tournament win...helped Cal reach its first Pac-10 Tournament final, posting 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds vs. Oregon in the quarterfinals and adding 14 points vs. Arizona State in the semifinals...three times sank a career-high three three-pointers, including in the conference semifinals...had 14 points vs. Kansas...Cal's top free throw shooter in the final two minutes of games, converting 78.1 percent (25-of-32)...Vital's assist totals over the last two seasons (128, 141) are the most by a Cal player since Eliza Sokolowska had 186 in 1995-96...helped the San Francisco team win the 2007 San Francisco Pro Am summer league. As a freshman in 2006-07: Emerged as Cal's starting point guard after Alexis Gray-Lawson suffered a season-ending knee injury nine games into the season...named the Bears' Most Improved Player...played in all 32 games and proved quite capable as the starter...selected to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team and earned a tryout with the U.S. under-19 national team...went from averaging 18.4 mpg as a reserve to leading all Pac-10 players in minutes played in conference games at 39.39 mpg...played at least 40 minutes 13 times, including a career-high 49 minutes in a double OT win at Oregon State and every minute of the team's last five games...averaged 7.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 4.0 apg (T4th Pac-10) overall but as a starter, averaged 8.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 5.0 apg...in Pac-10 games, averaged 8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 5.4 apg (2nd Pac-10)...ranked 10th in the Pac-10 in all games in assist/TO ratio (1.12)...recorded double-doubles in home triumphs over USC (15 points, career-high 10 assists) and UCLA (18 points, career-high 10 assists) the final week of Pac-10 play...owned nine double-digit scoring games, including eight over the last 15 games...in Cal's 72-57 win over No. 8 Stanford, posted a career-high 19 points and added six rebounds, six assists and a career-high three steals...dished off at least six assists seven times, including nine at home against Washington...tallied five assists vs. Notre Dame in NCAAs...steady at the foul line at 74.4 percent, highlighted by a 10-of-12 effort in the upset of Stanford...averaged 15.3 ppg playing in the 2006 San Francisco Pro Am summer league.
High School: As a senior at Lincoln High School, averaged 21 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals per game to earn a No. 55 national ranking by Blue Star Index and the No. 5 spot on the NorCal Girls' Top 40 list for 2006...scored 20 or more points in nine games as a senior...earned an assortment of honors - Street & Smith honorable mention All-America, league and team MVP, first-team all-area and All-San Joaquin Athletic Association...averaged 14.1 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game as a junior...helped her team to the second round of the playoffs in 2006 and a 19-7 overall record, the third round in 2005 and the first round in 2003 and 2004...as a member of the track and field team, participated in the high jump, 100m and relays...also was a member of her school's tennis team...won third place at nationals with her AAU basketball team, the East Bay Xplosion...four-year member of the honor roll.
Personal: Natasha Annette Vital was born June 9, 1988, in Oakland, Calif....parents are Roy Vital, Sr., and Carol Moland...has four siblings, Roy, Jamilia, Brandy and Jeremiah...her brother, Roy, played football at Southern...interests include listening to music, writing and poetry...American studies major.
VITAL'S CAREER STATISTICS VITAL'S CAREER STATISTICS Year G-Gs Min Fg-a Pct 3p-a Pct Ft-a Pct Off Def Reb Avg Pf-D Ast To Blk St Tp Avg 06-07 32-23 1058-33.1 77-192 .401 16-63 .254 61-82 .744 15 70 85 2.7 81-2 128 114 3 33 231 7.2 07-08 34-34 1183-34.8 90-243 .370 33-96 .344 53-81 .654 30 78 108 3.2 64-1 141 96 5 31 266 7.8 08-09 34-34 1053 96-244 .393 43-110 .391 58-84 .690 27 60 87 2.6 61-1 112 98 4 26 293 8.6 Totals 100-91 3294/32.9 263-679 .387 92-269 .342 172-247 .696 72 208 280 2.8 206-4 381 308 12 90 790 7.9
