SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Watching USF Dons' forward Lucija Kostic on the court could be surprising to someone unfamiliar to the Dons' brand of basketball.

A phenomenal passer who often operates above the key, scanning the floor looking for which of her teammates will make the proper cut or others that might need to be led to find the open shot. 

"My freshman year I had to be more assertive because we didn't have that many scorers so I decided that I had to go score myself even though I prefer assisting," Kostic said. 

Head coach Molly Goodenbour is amazed watching the way Lucija can serve as a coach on the floor, as she knows the game so well and the exact spot each player should be at on the floor to have success.

"What was frustrating the first couple of years is that we had to make her into a player that we knew she wasn't," Goodenbour explained. "But we didn't understand the value of what she did do."

What Kostic did was make everyone else she shared the floor with better due to her passing and instincts. Emerging as one of the smartest players in the WCC she stands out as the only front court player to finish in the top 10 in the conference in assists while playing smart and stingy defense against fellow post players.

During last season's run to the WNIT, the shooters around Lucija were thriving as she finished second in the conference in assists and led the WCC in assist to turnover ratio. 

"All of a sudden I have Ioanna (Krimili), Amalie (Langer), Kia (Valaavirta), Jessica (McDowell-White) and all these players that can shoot, score and cut," Kostic said. "It was just like everything opened up and I can actually do what I like doing." 

Goodenbour knows how impactful Kostic can be when she's on the floor leading the way for her teammates helping them to be their best. Attributes like this make it easy to see why her coaches see a great future ahead for Lucija to remain on the sidelines once her playing career finishes. 

For now, the redshirt junior from Zagreb is looking for another strong conference season from the Dons with a return to postseason play. 

"If you keep working hard, believe in yourself and surround yourself with good people, good things are going to happen," Kostic said. 

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