That's because, if the monster has a face, it is that of Kelsey Bone, the team's best and most feared player - its heart and soul. She hadn't been healthy all summer. Until now. Until after leading WCE to a 49-30 whopping on Sunday of its biggest nemesis, the Tennessee Flight Silver, before a packed gym in the most anticipated matchup in Nike Nationals pool play.

Chelsea Hopkins of WCE

Bone, the 6-foot-4 post, scored 14 points, including a pair of powerful three-point plays that sucked the fight right out of the Flight. Afterward, she was even more fearsome, making a declaration that should send shudders throughout the rest of this elite field.

"This is the re-emergence of West Coast Elite," she said. "I think we showed the rest of the country that we are a team to be reckoned with."

The rest of the country already knew this, but since the WCE never backed up its status, everyone could pretend it wasn't true.

This club season, WCE's measuring stick has been the Flight, which beat them at the Boo Williams Invitational in April, then in a double-overtime classic at the Nike Midwest Showdown in May. In between then and now, the team has undergone a coaching change - with program founder Kevin Morrison going to Cal as an assistant - and during the mid-July break, Bone did not attend a dead-period camp and got to rest her aching knees, then got attention to a badly sprained left ankle. Those had rendered her far less than the player widely considered the best in the 2009 class.

After the two rivals struggled to a 22-22 tie at halftime, Morrison's successor, Brian Crichlow, made a telling adjustment, switching sharpshooter Lindy LaRoque to the point, taking away part of the Flight's sagging man-to-man and leaving Bone with a couple backside defenders, which she handled easily.

"Kelsey Bone showed why she is one of the top players in the country," Flight coach Matt Insell said. " We double-teamed her and triple-teamed her, but we couldn't stop her."

Monique Oliver of WCE

West Coast Elite, of course, has been this way before, winning games, seeming to turn corners, then stumbling just as quickly. This game had a different feel, however, with WCE demonstrating more purpose and common wherewithal.

Bone pointed out that her team finally is healthy and on the same page with a new system installed by Crichlow on the run. Crichlow agreed, saying his team dealt with hardship better than before.

"We were more prepared after playing them in what seemed like four games because of the one with two overtimes," Crichlow said. "We've been talking to the kids a lot about mental preparation. This doesn't accomplish our goal here. This was the next step for us."

The evidence of a turnaround is mounting: The West Coast Elite is 4-0 at Nike Nationals and guaranteed to make the Gold bracket. Kelsey Bone is healthy and nearly unstoppable. She and her uber-talented teammates appear to be in lock step.

Seems the giant has been awakened.

Chris Hansen contributed to this report.

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