"Kyla Irwin Best Teammate Award"

[winlots]

Suggest that we create a new award for the UCONN women's team named after Kyla and awarded annually in her name. This would be a great way to honor her and others to follow over the years. Am thinking it is every bit as significant in it's own way as MVP, MOP, and the other standards. And who better to and more deserving to carry a Best Teammate Award than Kyla Irwin? If you heavy hitters and connected folks in the Yard get behind this, we might even be able to get it done in time to welcome her back to a game in the near future.. Your thoughts?

 

[Sonny44]

The winner would have to be voted on. Also it would not have to be awarded every year if there was no outstanding candidate. How about making it retroactive to Pulido?

 

[rvwsleep]

Tonight, we play for her

 

[winlots]

Good number of you seemed to support this Kyla Irwin award. And ideas about how we can move this forward for her in a timely fashion? All i can think of is involving the "powers that be " but I'm not sure who they are for a concept like this?

 

[cbraarj]

Suggest that we create a new award for the UCONN women's team named after Kyla and awarded annually in her name. This would be a great way to honor her and others to follow over the years. Am thinking it is every bit as significant in it's own way as MVP, MOP, and the other standards. And who better to and more deserving to carry a Best Teammate Award than Kyla Irwin? If you heavy hitters and connected folks in the Yard get behind this, we might even be able to get it done in time to welcome her back to a game in the near future.. Your thoughts?

To many other players just as deserving!

 

[huskyd]

We love you so much, Kyla, that we no longer spell your name Kayla. You've been a breath of fresh air, a true rep of the Husky spirit. What you bring to the team is like no other, and it's obvious that you should be named the Best Teammate--that's what you are. Keep those high-5s coming with your good arm.
(And, yes, we remember Pulido at the Buzzer: the last basket made in Stewie's last game.)

 

[eebmg]

Nice followup of Kyla's involvement in the AAC finals game

Despite injury, Kyla Irwin maintained her presence in UConn’s AAC Title victory

The senior was still involved despite not being at the game in-person.

www.theuconnblog.com

Even before the injury, it was never hard to find Irwin — even when she wasn’t in the game. She’s the loudest, most expressive player on the bench and gets far more excited for anything her teammates do than her own accomplishments.

So it’s only natural that after the game, once the team finished celebrating on the court, dumped a gatorade bucket of confetti on Geno Auriemma, received its hardware and returned to the locker room, Irwin was, amazingly, the happiest of the bunch.

“Screaming. Screaming, screaming, screaming, screaming,” Dangerfield said of Irwin’s reaction when she answered the call. “We threw confetti in the phone. She was cheering. She said she was proud of us.”

 

[OldAlum]

Love Kyla. Dont love the teammate award. Her team recognizes her and appreciates her and that is the best award.

 

[PacoSwede]

if one person gets A 'teammate award' the logical implication is that other teammates are in some way inferior. that's not a good thing for chemistry and solidarity (though obviously popular with some if you want to promote factionalism, which i wouldn't think is a good strategy in a team sport)

 

[Bama fan]

I believe Kyla has already won the best team mate award. Watch her on the bench cheering and bouying up her fellow players. And even more so , watch and listen when she is on the floor. She tells others where to move, calls defensive positions and assignments, and generally leads from the front. She knows what they are supposed to be doing and tells the rest to do it. And it never seems that the team resents her generalship. Her basketball IQ is very high, her effort unsurpassed, and her enthusiasm unflagging. She does all this predominately as a bench player. It is quite rare to hear stars and starters praise a benchie as they do Kyla. I will miss her on the floor, but I am certain she will be" in the game" as much as any UConn lady has ever been. Kyla is a fine young woman, and a first class team mate.