Tip your hat to Andrea Hudy, UConn S&C Coach

[Twolf]

One of the most amazing things to me in last night’s game, along with the myriad of clutch plays being made by both team’s players, was the stamina of Paige Bueckers. Paige was injured on December 5th, and played in a game again on February 25th, and as everyone knows, was under limitations those last two regular season games and into the BE Tournament. Last night, playing in one of the most intense games you could ever imagine, she played 45 minutes. Not only did she play those 45 minutes, she was at her best in those last 10 minutes which is an unbelievable feat for someone who not only underwent surgery, but missed over ten weeks of the season. A large part of being able to accomplish this is the competitive will of PB, but no matter what the mind says if the body says no it’s not going to happen since fatigue makes a coward of everyone. I saw firsthand what Andrea Hudy did with the KU Mens basketball players in her 15 year stint there before going to Texas for a couple of years, before returning to UConn, so it’s not a complete surprise, but what we witnessed last night might take the cake. Yes, I know there were others who were involved in this process, but the player had to be in great shape at the time of the injury, and to get her strength and conditioning back to what we all saw last night is nothing short of amazing to me. The outcome would not have been the same without it. To win championships you have to have the right people in the right positions from coaching to nutrition to S&C, and right down the line. It should be obvious to fans that they have the right people on the S&C staff. Bravo

JMO

 

[schmendrick]

Amen to all that.

Also remember Holly(?) mentioning that she cleaned up Aaliyah's diet which might account in part for her in-season transformation.

 

[uconnfan68]

Don’t forget where she started.

 

[FairView]

Sometimes we forget the "Team" effort extends far beyond the people wearing the uniforms. Thanks for the reminder.

Speaking of the entire team ... after the win last night and a little ways into the jubilation on the court, a number of young men came onto the court together and approached the team – there were strong embraces all around between them and many of the UConn players. I was wondering if perhaps those were the practice players. Any insights from anyone on that? Thanks