On a team loaded with experience, it hasn’t always been easy for Johanna Teder to find her voice with the Colorado women’s basketball team.

When the senior does speak up, however, the Buffaloes listen. A newcomer on a team full of newcomers, Teder has been a valuable piece to the puzzle for a CU squad that will look for a third consecutive win on Sunday against Texas Tech.

“When she speaks up, it’s usually very much on point,” CU head coach JR Payne said. “It’s level-headed; it’s just a thoughtful, mature dialog. She needs to speak up more. When she sees something that maybe the rest of us don’t see on the court, or an area that we can improve, she needs to speak up, because it’s very good information usually, and so we’re going to continue to encourage her to do that.”

Statistically, this hasn’t been the type of season Teder envisioned when she transferred to CU over the summer, but it’s also been a rewarding season for her.

“I’m loving it,” said Teder, a sixth-year senior from Estonia who spent the previous four years at Washington State. “School is super hard, but it’s really challenging, and seeing things in a different perspective.

“Even if I don’t play my best basketball at times, I still feel like I’m valued, supported, all that. So in the long run, I think it was a really smart decision.”

Teder started all 86 games she played at Washington State, averaging 8.4 points and helping the Cougars to three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Before that stretch, Wazzu had been to the tournament just once, in 1991.

After missing the entire 2023-24 season with injuries, Teder came to CU. She has a much different role — coming off the bench for 15 of the 20 games so far — but is grateful she’s healthy enough to play.

“As an athlete, when you come back, it’s always … there’s this little disappointment,” she said. “You’re like, ‘I know what I can do. I know how I can shoot,’ and I haven’t shown it this year yet. You can also think about it, but I also have to be really patient and appreciate the little things.”

Teder, who had 154 3-pointers at Wazzu, has just 12 this year, but she’s shooting at a career-best clip of 35.3% from beyond the arc and a career-best 50.0% overall.

Payne said she wants Teder to shoot more and met with her about that a couple of weeks ago.

“She’s been more aggressive since then, which has been great,” Payne said.

With the Buffs, Teder not only provides leadership — although she’s one of six players with at least 100 games played — but she’s been a versatile guard.

Mainly a shooting guard, Teder has taken on more of a point guard role when needed. She started two games in early December when point guards Kindyll Wetta and Kennedy Sanders were out with injuries, dishing out a career-best seven assists in one of those games.

And, she’s started the past three games next to Wetta to give the Buffs a second ball handler on the court as they try to limit turnovers.

“As long as they trust me and they put me on the court, I try to be as efficient as possible,” she said.

For the year, Teder is averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 assists, but in the past two games she’s averaged 8.0 points and 3.0 assists while hitting 54.5% of her shots (6-of-11).

“I have the ball more in my hands,” she said. “I can dictate a little bit more what’s going on, but I’m more of a team player. I like to share the ball, play for others, and find the open shots. I enjoy being in that role.”

Teder’s role could become even more valuable as the Buffs make a push for the NCAA Tournament. Sitting at No. 62 in the NET rankings, CU is on the bubble, but veterans such as Teder could make a difference down the stretch.

“She’s really unselfish,” Payne said. “It’s never about her, it’s always about the team and how the team can be successful. And I think that will really help us in the next five weeks.”