Azzi update

[BRS24]

 

[BRS24]

Good enough for me -

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

Difficult to interpret "I'll be ready when I'm ready." It's like when I used to ask my parents on a road trip, "When are we going to get there?" They'd reply, "We'll get there when we get there."

 

[cgshuskie]

Awful story,.....just awful

 

[Jokerman619]

I still believe that she is real close to being back she has a fighting spirit, also wants to help her team all she can. She can be a big spark. And I truly believe that her and Lou and Caroline would be a unbelievable force. And at that note, I rest my case. Go Huskies.

 

[Centerstream]

I'll be first with a totally off the wall commentary...Azzi at 25% of her true capabilities is 100% better than 99% of the players on DePaul and Xavier.

 

[ucbart]

I am NOT one to speculate, but doesn anyone else think this seems like a bone bruise? From the contact point, to the crutches, to it being a new injury, to taking a bit long to come back based off the injury itself? It just didn't look that serious when it happened in the game.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Difficult to interpret "I'll be ready when I'm ready." It's like when I used to ask my parents on a road trip, "When are we going to get there?" They'd reply, "We'll get there when we get there."

Yea also does it mean "I won't be ready until I'm ready" or "When I'm ready I'll be ready to play my best"?

 

[hoopsfan22]

6 days until the BET, and 20 until the NCAAT. Times running out for Ms. Fudd.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I am NOT one to speculate, but doesn anyone else think this seems like a bone bruise? From the contact point, to the crutches, to it being a new injury, to taking a bit long to come back based off the injury itself? It just didn't look that serious when it happened in the game.

Its also interesting that it doesn't sound like its a matter of the medical team clearing her at this point. Every other injury return conversation is about when someone will be cleared to play. I wonder how much is mental as well considering her past issues with the knee.

 

[UConnCat]

I am NOT one to speculate, but doesn anyone else think this seems like a bone bruise? From the contact point, to the crutches, to it being a new injury, to taking a bit long to come back based off the injury itself? It just didn't look that serious when it happened in the game.

That’s what I thought upon hearing “non-weight bearing.” That’s rarely a prescription for muscle, ligament or tendon damage.

 

[JoePgh]

I am impressed with the fact that Azzi felt comfortable telling her coach that "I'll be ready when I'm ready." I have to believe that there are a lot of programs where a player would feel that she was taking her scholarship in her hands if she said something like that to her head coach.

It also speaks well of the culture of the program that Geno accepted that response at face value. If he suspects (which I doubt) that Azzi is malingering, he is appropriately keeping that suspicion to himself.

This seems to be a case where the simplest explanation is also the best fit to the facts: Geno knows that Azzi wants to play and contribute as much as Geno wants her to do that, but neither she nor he (nor certainly her parents or the medical staff) wants her to risk a career-threatening result if she returns too early.

So, to paraphrase herself, she will return when she returns, regardless of where (or if) that fits in the tournament schedule.

 

[HuskyNan]

I'll be first with a totally off the wall commentary...Azzi at 25% of her true capabilities is 100% better than 99% of the players on DePaul and Xavier.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

That’s what I thought upon hearing “non-weight bearing.” That’s rarely a prescription for muscle, ligament or tendon damage.

I am NOT one to speculate, but doesn anyone else think this seems like a bone bruise? From the contact point, to the crutches, to it being a new injury, to taking a bit long to come back based off the injury itself? It just didn't look that serious when it happened in the game.

She was tapped on the knee by another player, in the place where a knee pad was. I don't see how a bone bruise could have resulted from such minimal contact over a padded area. I also think they would have ruled her out for the season a month ago if it were a bone bruise.

 

[rt bb fan]

At this point they should shut Azzi down for the season. Not worth an injury. Let her recover and be strong for next season!

 

[Topsail]

We have to remember that Paige came back for the last 2 games of the reg season and did not do much. The first game of BET paige had 16 pts then only 2 pts for the next 2 games of BET. It was until the 3 rd and 4 th game of the NCAA tourney that PAIGE was playing much better. It takes time to get comfortable and I wonder If there is enough time for AZzi to be helpful. We have to remember that we had a close call in the 2 nd game of the tourney to UCF. The way things are this year we could be zapped early.

 

[uconnfan68]

At this point they should shut Azzi down for the season. Not worth an injury. Let her recover and be strong for next season!

"They" are leaving it up to her.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Its also interesting that it doesn't sound like its a matter of the medical team clearing her at this point. Every other injury return conversation is about when someone will be cleared to play. I wonder how much is mental as well considering her past issues with the knee.

If they're not letting her practice with the team, even as a green shirt, plus Geno saying it's a new injury, would seem to indicate this is a medical issue and time is ultimately the only cure.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

We have to remember that Paige came back for the last 2 games of the reg season and did not do much. The first game of BET paige had 16 pts then only 2 pts for the next 2 games of BET. It was until the 3 rd and 4 th game of the NCAA tourney that PAIGE was playing much better. It takes time to get comfortable and I wonder If there is enough time for AZzi to be helpful. We have to remember that we had a close call in the 2 nd game of the tourney to UCF. The way things are this year we could be zapped early.

But Paige was out out from early December with surgery. Azzi was playing in late December/Early Jan through mid-January and has been playing/training in different ways for weeks recovering. Not really an apples to apples comparison thought I doubt Azzi could jsut return in her early season form.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

If they're not letting her practice with the team, even as a green shirt, plus Geno saying it's a new injury, would seem to indicate this is a medical issue and time is ultimately the only cure.

The greenshirts are about concussion safety, she doesn't have a concussion so that's irrelevant.

And my point is that no one has has said they aren't letting her practice with team. That is the difference in language, its that she doesn't feel ready to practice yet - which is very different from waiting to be cleared to practice. From all of Geno's comments at least, it sounds like she may be medically cleared (i.e not waiting on a test or benchmark) but not yet personally ready to return either because of pain or confidence in the knee. Totally fine and I think they should 1000% wait for her to feel ready.

 

[rubymae4]

Its also interesting that it doesn't sound like its a matter of the medical team clearing her at this point. Every other injury return conversation is about when someone will be cleared to play. I wonder how much is mental as well considering her past issues with the knee.

All players go through a process of first being medically cleared, eased into practice/contact (pace is determined by injury/player), and then the player feeling ready to play.

There have been multiple instances (especially this year) when Geno indicated a player was medically cleared but the player didn’t feel ready yet.

I commend the team culture that leaves it up to the player at the end. Different players have different responses to injuries, and ultimately, it’s dangerous to have a player playing when she doesn’t feel ready.

 

[Rowdy831]

The one really hoping Azzi comes back is Lou. That would take so much pressure off of her that she might be able to relax and just be good. Right now if she isn't shooting good the offense is really struggling. She is also getting the other teams best defender which she won't when Azzi returns.

This team is plenty talented enough to win games right up until they face the top three or four teams. Then it would be nice to have a fresh Azzi and one of the big girls on the bench contributing 5-6 minutes per game.