Azzi update

[meyers7]

Sounds to me like she'll be playing in March....just like she said she would.

 

[Charliebball]

Sounds to me like she'll be playing in March....just like she said she would.

yes I'd expect her back for the big tournament.........

 

[Geew1992]

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.

They are ALL hoping Azzi comes back. Not just Lou. Pretty sure Azzi can give Nika rest as well as Lou.

 

[OldSchooler]

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.

Sounds like Yogi Berra ("Baseball is 90% mental; the other half is physical").

 

[OldSchooler]

They are ALL hoping Azzi comes back. Not just Lou. Pretty sure Azzi can give Nika rest as well as Lou.

Uh uh. If Azzi comes back, don't expect her to help carry the PG load. It's her shooting that we miss.

 

[hoopsfan22]

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.

You are making some assertions about Azzi here. Where did you get this info that she said she doesn't feel ready to practice?

 

[AmeriConn]

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."

"Are we there yet?" was popular in my family.

 

[Gus Mahler]

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."

Popular in my extended family: We'll be there when you see us coming.

 

[Geew1992]

Uh uh. If Azzi comes back, don't expect her to help carry the PG load. It's her shooting that we miss.

I def expect her to carry some of the PG load. As she did before she got injured.

 

[Gordo]

Yes, this injury now being called "new" makes me wonder if her right knee is going to be capable of coming back at all this season? I have to believe, based on Azzi's reported comment of being ready when I'm ready, her possible hesitancy has more to due with her BB future beyond this season and beyond her time at UConn for that matter.

 

[MilfordHusky]

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.

I think that Azzi could provide the spark this year that Paige did last year. Her timing may be a little later, but we could use her in both the BE Tourney and the NCAA Tourney,

 

[wingsfan055]

We don't need Azzi until the Round of 16 weekend. UConn should roll over whoever they play in the first 2 rounds. Let her heal until she is physically and mentally ready.

 

[MooseJaw]

Knee brace, why not. Unlike many I fear that Azzi may never be a full-time player. I just think that if we look at the last 4 years and see how many games she has missed I worry that what we have seen is what her availability will be in the future. I pray that this is not the case however I will no longer hold my breath waiting for her return. I hope she is able to play on a regular basis for her sake, she is such a special person and player when able to play.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

You have to believe that her caution and patience are influenced by her mom's injuries and how that impacted her career. IMO, if she isn't 100%, then she shouldn't risk coming back until she is 100%. Whatever the details are, the injury was obviously of a serious nature.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

You are making some assertions about Azzi here. Where did you get this info that she said she doesn't feel ready to practice?

It is what GENO said. Multiple times over the last few weeks.

 

[sun]

I interpret Azzi's comment as indicating that she needs to feel confident that she's ready in every aspect of her game.
That includes her knee and all of the other skills involved, her shot, stamina, handle, mobility, pain level etc...
Being on the court is packed with pressure & risks, and she wants to have all of her wits & talents in place in order to be most effective.
I think that she knows how to work on a lot of these aspects of her game independently so that when she steps onto the court to practice that she's back to where she needs to be, to be most productive and not to create any doubts about her readiness to contribute without any reservations.

Considering how she played in the NC game while sick, that must have left a scar that she doesn't want to repeat & which could create doubts about her abilities with her fans.
The aggressive mindset that she began the year with needs to be fully recovered for her to be ready and that includes the physical, the mind & the spirit.
Knowing that she's close is what matters to the team and her fans.
At least she delivered the message that being on the court means that she's totally ready for battle.
God bless her.

 

[JellyBean]

You have to believe that her caution and patience are influenced by her mom's injuries and how that impacted her career. IMO, if she isn't 100%, then she shouldn't risk coming back until she is 100%. Whatever the details are, the injury was obviously of a serious nature.

THIS!! You hit the nail on the head!! This has been my thinking on this matter since last year when she suffered an injury and sat out for awhile. Her mom suffered some knee and ankle injuries. I am sure those conversations and visuals came up and may or may not be impacting Azzi. But I agree. If she isn't 100% physically and mentally ready, I don't think she should play.

 

[boontonbomber]

Way to tell him , Azzi !

 

[TCC Kid]

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

A 100 percent Azzi next season is better than an ???? Azzi now.

 

[uconnfan68]

A 100 percent Azzi next season is better than an ???? Azzi now.

I'll take a 60% Azzi IF she thinks she's ready.

 

[Tonyc]

Im not concerned with what happened to her. I am happy that she is at a point where it appears shes almost ready to return in time for the post season. The post season is what Geno always shoots for to win. We are almost there and Azzi appears to be almost ready. Thats it.

For me I always Dream Big and shoot for the moon and if I miss I end up with the stars

 

[Joevacc]

Should the coaching staff consider having Azzi wear a significant knee brace while she begins to workout and play

 

[Joevacc]

Consider wearing some type of sturdy knee brace

 

[cgshuskie]

Remember Azzi in the NC game.? ................ We are there again...... Wait until next season!!! She'll be ready then!!

 

[Bald Husky]

#$%& or get off the pot. Thats frustration talking, but time is running out. The team that is playing now need Azzi, and if she has no idea when she will be ready, just shut down and don't come back until next year. The players need to know, the coaching staff needs to know, because some new kind of playing strategy has to occur or we will be out before the sweet 16. The current players are playing their hearts out, but let's face it, they are not playing very well at this point. Geno refuses to give breaks using his bench, and yes, they don't score, but maybe they are afraid to shoot. Ines in one of her last appearances had open 3 pt looks but did not shoot. If the current team can't score, give the other "non-scorers" a chance. Since Caroline came back, he has shortened the bench even more, only using 6 players instead of 7. If Azzi doesn't come back within the last couple of regular games, she won't be back, or at least, she may not be effective. The way it's going now, if these kids don't get some rest, the season is over. I don't know why he doesn't see that. It has to be Azzi, or the bench, because we will go nowhere by making these kids play all these minutes without breaks. I'm not happy about this post, but I am not happy with how this is playing out. Nika, Aubrey, Aaliyah, Dorka, and Lou are rock stars and should be appreciated for their hard work and attitude. Love those girls. Come on Geno, come on Azzi, figure something out, but do something.