Reimer leaves ND team for balance of season

[Farney]

@NDsidMasters: During pregame radio interview, Coach McGraw announced Taya Reimer has left @ndwbb for balance of 2015-16 season for personal reasons …

Hopefully she's ok. Best wishes to her.

 

[Orangutan]

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Watching the ND/TCU game and the announcers also talked about it.

 

[Kaizen]

I am confused. So Taya still gets ND scholarship but not playing NDWBB?

 

[choochoo]

IIRC didn't something like this almost transpire last year?

 

[Orangutan]

She's left the team for the rest of season. Presumably, she is, at this point, expected back next year.

 

[JS]

She's left the team for the rest of season. Presumably, she is, at this point, expected back next year.

Agree. No indication at this point that she's leaving the school (or the campus as on the prior occasion).

 

[Huskies Rule]

Since Reimer was ranked #4 overall by Hoopgurlz and the #1 forward in that class, some people have questioned whether or not she has lived up to expectations. There's a ton of pressure, particularly at an elite program like ND, for top recruits to perform. She's played well, but certainly not great, as may have been expected. I have long questioned her conditioning and high ranking, but that's another issue. I think she's a sensitive kid who has experienced some crap through no fault of her own. As I remember it, the ND team dealt with some angry backlash when ND showed their support of Eric Garner's (choked by police for resisting arrest) by wearing those "I can't breath" t-shirts. I don't know if that was her idea, but she did speak out to support it, and some folks didn't like it. And didn't she take time off, away from the team, for several games last year, with questions about whether, in fact, she wanted to return? At that time, she was fine physically.

I know she's dealing with a sore achilles, and if that nagging physical injury is what's troubling her and causing her to walk away from this season, I get that. But, with little more to go on other than what I have read and heard, I have to guess it's about something else.

The demands, expectations and pressure of playing big time WCBB can be overwhelming.

 

[UcMiami]

Sorry to hear this - but between previous personal issues mentioned above, and an injury that while not preventing some court time has been very limiting, I am not completely surprised. I am glad that ND is honoring this full year's scholarship at a minimum.

Will be interesting to see if she wanted to apply for a red-shirt, whether the NCAA will permit it - while the wording of her leaving the team means that it is not fully 'medical', the nature of an achilles injury (and one she has already been managing for 8 or so months) is such that 'shutting it down' for an extended period of time might be her best option for a full recovery. I am sure her doctors would write something to that effect if requested.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

That's too bad; hopefully it isn't due to a family or personal health concern. It could be something as simple as needing to concentrate on academics next semester.

 

[JS]

And didn't she take time off, away from the team, for several games last year, with questions about whether, in fact, she wanted to return? At that time, she was fine physically. * * * I know she's dealing with a sore achilles, and if that nagging physical injury is what's troubling her and causing her to walk away from this season, I get that. But, with little more to go on other than what I have read and heard, I have to guess it's about something else.

Any take here on the reasons is complete speculation, and we shouldn't go too far with that.

But the initial communication said "personal" rather than medical reasons. And given the prior occasion, it's hard to avoid the impression that, whether on account of athletics and/or something else, Ms. Reimer is in a somewhat uneasy relationship with her college experience.

 

[alexrgct]

It must really hurt not to have Reimer, Turner, or Patberg, for the balance of a season. Then again, Muffet finds ways to lose key personnel to graduation, the WNBA, and injury, and still field a nationally competitive team. Five consecutive national semis and four NC games in those five seasons don't lie.

In the interim, my immediate sympathies are with Taya, and in the longer term, I'll take an NC any way Uconn get win one. Yes, including by beating a tourney opponent with a depleted roster if that transpires. But indeed, I hope that, sooner rather than later, Taya gets herself whole...in every sense of the word.

 

[trb123]

Next year ND has a better chance of winning the NC than they have this year.
Not suggesting that this thought has anything to do with the announcement.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Pretty much as I said about Katie Lou's absence this summer---It's personal If they wanted us to know more they would have said.

I'm not sure Muffet is even thinking of an NC this year, final 4 probably, but her smaller team will only take her so far and she is smart enough to know that--while publicly saying they are working hard towards the NC that's good for fans and team alike.

 

[Irish75]

Brianna Turner is supposedly due back next game, which is phenomenal news for ND, if true.

 

[Wbbfan1]

I wouldn't count ND out for the F4 and even winning the National Championship, especially if Brianna Turner is ready to play late in the season and all of the Tournament. They are a talented team with great 3 point shooting which will keep them in most games. They'll have all season to work on their 4 guard lineup. Do I think ND wins the National Championship, no I don't. However wouldn't surprise me to see them playing in the National Championship game.

 

[Dillon77]

I wouldn't count ND out for the F4 and even winning the National Championship, especially if Brianna Turner is ready to play late in the season and all of the Tournament. They are a talented team with great 3 point shooting which will keep them in most games. They'll have all season to work on their 4 guard lineup. Do I think ND wins the National Championship, no I don't. However wouldn't surprise me to see them playing in the National Championship game.

Announcers at today's ND-TCU game said Turner was expected back for next game at St. Joe's on Dec. 21st. If so, she'd get one game under her belt before playing against Oregon State a week later. We'll see if she continues to heal well. Kat Westbeld -- really the only "big" ND has left from the regular rotation -- had a good game today, as did Mabrey1, who had 15 points and 8 assists, all in the first half.

 

[Orangutan]

Announcers during the game today said that Turner would be back for ND's next game against St. Joe's. But I'll believe that more concretely if I hear it from McGraw.

Reimer is a big loss but she was really struggling with the Achilles injury. That being the case, maybe this is a good opportunity to take sone time away to address the rest of her life.

I hope to see her back next year for the triumphant return.

 

[bballnut90]

Pretty crazy to think that last year everyone thought Notre Dame would have Loyd, Turner and Reimer all playing and now they are without all 3, not to mention Patberg.

Their guard lineup of Allen, Mabrey, Mabrey, Ogunbowale, and Cable has been outstanding this year. Westbeld will need help in the post if ND will stay undefeated in the ACC another year but Notre Dame's unheralded players have really surprised me this year.

 

[huskeynut]

This is a shocker that was not expected.

Whatever caused her to leave the team, we can only wish her the best.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Tough news. How it affects UConn directly is hard to say since Reimer has never scored much against the Huskies in the three games she's played against them (two of them NCs), but last year she at least pulled down a combined 17 rebounds in the two games as played solid enough D on the front line. Chasing four Irish guards around the outside has its drawbacks.

 

[bballnut90]

Tough news. How it affects UConn directly is hard to say since Reimer has never scored much against the Huskies in the three games she's played against them (two of them NCs), but last year she at least pulled down a combined 17 rebounds in the two games as played solid enough D on the front line. Chasing four Irish guards around the outside has its drawbacks.

The only area it hurts ND when facing UCONN is the ability to put a big physical frame on Stewart/Tuck. Reimer has really struggled against UCONN, and I think Westbeld is a better offensive threat than Taya. Additionally, if they opt for a 4 guard lineup with Turner, that could cause problems for UCONN since Notre Dame has been the best shooting team in the nation this year. Notre Dame spreads the floor offensively and Turner is outstanding defensively. If they play UCONN again, Stewart will have a much more difficult time against Turner than she did against Westbeld/others.

 

[Bigpetunia]

Since Reimer was ranked #4 overall by Hoopgurlz and the #1 forward in that class, some people have questioned whether or not she has lived up to expectations. There's a ton of pressure, particularly at an elite program like ND, for top recruits to perform. She's played well, but certainly not great, as may have been expected. I have long questioned her conditioning and high ranking, but that's another issue. I think she's a sensitive kid who has experienced some crap through no fault of her own. As I remember it, the ND team dealt with some angry backlash when ND showed their support of Eric Garner's (choked by police for resisting arrest) by wearing those "I can't breath" t-shirts. I don't know if that was her idea, but she did speak out to support it, and some folks didn't like it. And didn't she take time off, away from the team, for several games last year, with questions about whether, in fact, she wanted to return? At that time, she was fine physically.

I know she's dealing with a sore achilles, and if that nagging physical injury is what's troubling her and causing her to walk away from this season, I get that. But, with little more to go on other than what I have read and heard, I have to guess it's about something else.

The demands, expectations and pressure of playing big time WCBB can be overwhelming.

I think Taya is a very talented kid, but, like you, I recall previous struggles. If my memory is correct (never a certainty), she did not just miss a few games last season, but announced that, for personal reasons, she was leaving the team altogether. Subsequently, as I remember, she was talked out of that decision, but, clearly, notwithstanding injury, there is a lot of question about her ability to adequately handle the pressures to which you correctly refer. The issue of a possible return next season has to be at least cloudy at best....but I hope she does.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Since Reimer was ranked #4 overall by Hoopgurlz and the #1 forward in that class, some people have questioned whether or not she has lived up to expectations.

Yeah, it must be that she didn't live up to expectations, cuz those ranking folks are always right.

The demands, expectations and pressure of playing big time WCBB can be overwhelming.

Pressure is always relative. I'm sure it must be tough to play basketball games for a big-name university as a 18-19 year old. I wonder how those 18-19 year olds who patrol foreign lands, looking for terrorists/IEDs, while dodging bullets, handle it.

 

[Carnac]

Announcers at today's ND-TCU game said Turner was expected back for next game at St. Joe's on Dec. 21st. If so, she'd get one game under her belt before playing against Oregon State a week later. We'll see if she continues to heal well. Kat Westbeld -- really the only "big" ND has left from the regular rotation -- had a good game today, as did Mabrey1, who had 15 points and 8 assists, all in the first half.

Whether Turner comes back Dec 21, or against Oregon State, She had better be at full strength, or very close to it. She'll be going against Oregon State's 6'6" senior, Ruth Hamblin (13.3 ppg/ 8.3 rpg). Ruth is healthy, and will be a handful for Turner, or anyone else Notre Dame assigns to guard her. I'm picking Oregon State to win that game.