Evina Battling not only other teams but her body

[eebmg]

Evina in a constant battle with her body. CW and Nika need to step up and give her as much rest as possible. And it is not jump shots only.

“When Evina is going to the basket and she is being aggressive and making the defense respect her drives, she really opens up a lot of things for us,” Auriemma said. “There is a lot of pressure on our guards to make a lot of shots. Evina is one that is fortunately not just going to just settle for jump shots.”

Journal Inquirer

The latest news from Manchester, Connecticut, as well as coverage of Enfield, Vernon, South Windsor, East Hartford and beyond.

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As UConn hits the final turn of the regular season with the Big East Tournament just over two weeks away, it’s important that Westbrook picks her spot in practice.

“I get in and I get out. There’s no reason for me to be in for a long period of time,” I talk a lot to Coach Shea (Ralph) about it, doing a bunch of little stuff. I don’t do a lot of pounding on the court. It’s getting on a bike doing different alternatives so I get my work in.”

 

[freshler40]

Evina in a constant battle with her body. CW and Nika need to step up and give her as much rest as possible. And it is not jump shots only.

“When Evina is going to the basket and she is being aggressive and making the defense respect her drives, she really opens up a lot of things for us,” Auriemma said. “There is a lot of pressure on our guards to make a lot of shots. Evina is one that is fortunately not just going to just settle for jump shots.”

Journal Inquirer

The latest news from Manchester, Connecticut, as well as coverage of Enfield, Vernon, South Windsor, East Hartford and beyond.

www.journalinquirer.com

As UConn hits the final turn of the regular season with the Big East Tournament just over two weeks away, it’s important that Westbrook picks her spot in practice.

“I get in and I get out. There’s no reason for me to be in for a long period of time,” I talk a lot to Coach Shea (Ralph) about it, doing a bunch of little stuff. I don’t do a lot of pounding on the court. It’s getting on a bike doing different alternatives so I get my work in.”

In the heat of the season we fans tend to forget that some of these players are coming off of serious injuries. Evina among them. The condensed schedule with an NBA every other night rate plus travel and school and it's a wonder we can field a team at all. Hats off to the players, coaches and support groups that are making this season happen. Just look at the number NBA games that have been shelved because of the number players over 8 not being available.

 

[msf22b]

I continue to be concerned about the state of E's knee both for her
being able to complete the season and for her future
On the very first shot on the high-light reel, she's fed under the hoop
makes a relatively uncontested but athletic shot and lands gingerly.

Her very first step thereafter demonstrates what she's going through.
Landing a routine jump creates discomfort. Not good.....
(Run it back to the beginning of the game).


I have no idea if rest and continued therapy over the summer will help.
I do surmise that a grueling season in the W won't.
What I am most concerned about is that a ruthless GM who needs
an experienced guard to perhaps get over the top
will draft her thinking...Well if we get a good season out of her,
even 2...that will be enough of a return on investment.

 

[oldude]

Evina’s commitment to this team is inspiring. As good as she’s been, it’s sobering to know that as a result of her injuries, we haven’t seen Evina’s best. I truly hope that she can make it through this season in some kind of reasonably good health, and continue her career for years to come.

 

[Sanka541]

I wonder (and seriously hope this isnt the case) that her knee is so bad that she might be better off staying an extra year and having another season of college basketball before calling it a day and moving into a career away from playing. Sort of like the Caroline Doty situation. Are her knees going to ever get better to the point where she can play back to back in WNBA and overseas for year after year? I don't know. Everytime she lands a little odly or is jumping and landing in traffic around the basket she winces. Hopefully it is just a case of her working herself back into full fitness and that over time her knees will get used to playing basketball again and will stop bothering her this badly so she can have a pro career.

 

[bluedevil]

Has she been quoted as saying she wants a pro career?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Evina in a constant battle with her body. CW and Nika need to step up and give her as much rest as possible. And it is not jump shots only.

“When Evina is going to the basket and she is being aggressive and making the defense respect her drives, she really opens up a lot of things for us,” Auriemma said. “There is a lot of pressure on our guards to make a lot of shots. Evina is one that is fortunately not just going to just settle for jump shots.”

Journal Inquirer

The latest news from Manchester, Connecticut, as well as coverage of Enfield, Vernon, South Windsor, East Hartford and beyond.

www.journalinquirer.com

As UConn hits the final turn of the regular season with the Big East Tournament just over two weeks away, it’s important that Westbrook picks her spot in practice.

“I get in and I get out. There’s no reason for me to be in for a long period of time,” I talk a lot to Coach Shea (Ralph) about it, doing a bunch of little stuff. I don’t do a lot of pounding on the court. It’s getting on a bike doing different alternatives so I get my work in.”

Thought so. Figured her wheels were giving her trouble. Just doesn't make sense that she would miss so many shots, unless her injured knees weren't holding up. Doesn't look good for a pro career. And Coach Geno will have to be very careful with Azzi Fudd's reconstructed knee. It was a serious injury.

 

[uconnfan68]

Wish Anna was ready to help. She and E have somewhat similar talents.

 

[Kmoney]

For anyone who has seen Evina play at Tennessee, what percent is she of that player now? I’m assuming that she is a better player who has lost some athleticism. I’m just curious if she is better or about the same.

 

[Woof 101]

Evina’s commitment to this team is inspiring. As good as she’s been, it’s sobering to know that as a result of her injuries, we haven’t seen Evina’s best. I truly hope that she can make it through this season in some kind of reasonably good health, and continue her career for years to come.

Agree, It is blatantly obvious she is not 100%. Also wish the same for her future, if it's to play or with her role of team mother / big sister finds coaching as a career. Obviously with a long history in the game she has had many good coaches to learn from. Most likely in high school AAU, travel ball etc. Now between Geno, CD, Shea, & Jamelle she has had some good tutelage.

Disclaimer.... I do not count her time at Tennessee in the above statement.

 

[BBallF]

The article confirms a lot of what we have been saying. There was just no other logical explanation for what we saw in the 5 games in 10 days other than her knee, especially with the types of misses she had on her shots and her unwillingness to drive. The good news is that against Butler yesterday she shot 12 times which ties for her season high and had 16 points and really would have had 20 except for a blown lay up (use your left hand from the left) and two missed free throws which are unlike her. Another optimistic note is that the injury and surgeries may take two years to fully heal. This has also been a difficult grinding year with the uncertainty and irregularity and perhaps more so for her. I really want to see her get a ring. She has become such an exemplary UCONN player; the team, the team, and nothing else but the team. She should have been here in the first place.

 

[huskeynut]

If you have not had knee surgery, you don't know what it is really like.

Your knee(s) are never pain free. Your knee will never be 100%. But your young mind and body says you can do it. You will unconsciously try to compensate but over time that will lead to other problems. As good as surgeries on knees are today, you are never the same.

I know. I have had both my knees operated on twice. The first time was in 1973, before the arthroscope procedure. Fortunately I'm not a candidate for knee replacement. At my age, that is one procedure I definitely do not want to face.

I have a lot of admiration for E. She is a warrior.

 

[BBallF]

If you have not had knee surgery, you don't know what it is really like.

Your knee(s) are never pain free. Your knee will never be 100%. But your young mind and body says you can do it. You will unconsciously try to compensate but over time that will lead to other problems. As good as surgeries on knees are today, you are never the same.

I know. I have had both my knees operated on twice. The first time was in 1973, before the arthroscope procedure. Fortunately I'm not a candidate for knee replacement. At my age, that is one procedure I definitely do not want to face.

I have a lot of admiration for E. She is a warrior.

Me too. She certainly is. She wants this bad. I watched my daughter who played college basketball go through two of them in college and one after and I watched the pain on her face and saw the frustration. Evina definitely has games where it bothers her less and then you see flashes of what she can do. I don't know what the happy medium is if there is one. She started out 5-5 against Butler, then came out for almost 7 minutes, then came back in and went 1-7. She also missed 2 free throws in row which is very unusual for her. She will never be 100% as Geno said but I sincerely hope that next year, wherever she is, it is more manageable for her. She really is the "glue" to our team and I think the 4 day break after tonight and then the long break after the BE tourney will really help her.