Fuller: Geno dishes on Nurse, Katie Lou, Napheesa, MDC

[UConnCat]

http://elmcitytoeaglevillenhr.blogspot.com/2015/07/uconns-auriemma-dishes-on-nurses-big.html

On Nurse:

"When you perform like that in that environment, the confidence that you get , the things that you can draw on when you are playing in college, you are playing in the Final Four or whatever is in her future, you know that you can do it. There is no doubt in her mind anymore. Last year there were times during the season where she would question herself like most freshmen do. I think a game like (Monday) night solidifies what we all think about her and that is she is something pretty special.

"Her parents are unbelievable proud of her understandably, they were all there, her brother was there, her sister and they get to relive it again in August in the Olympic qualifier in Edmonton. It is a lot for a young kid but there hasn't been anything thrown at her that she can't handle. The makeup of the team is a little different too. They are doing things a little bit more wide open so it plays more to her style."

On Katie Lou:

"Her mom got sick and her dad wanted her at home," Auriemma said. "Katie Lou made the decision that 'I want to be here at this point in time.' I don't envision there be anything more than that down the road (meaning that Samuelson is expected to return to campus later this summer right on schedule). When she was here for summer school, she was incredible. It is unfortunate that her mom got as sick as she did. They are a very close-knit family, very private family and they wanted to circle the wagons here for a while.

"They are already under a lot of pressure being away from home, the pressure of having to perform at a certain level and the expectations that people have for them whether it is USA Basketball or UConn or anything (else). Sometimes we forget that if that was a kid that didn't play sports and didn't have all of those expectations, they would have done the exact same (reaction). Just because she is a basketball player, that doesn't change the fact that she is an 18-year-old kid."

On Napheesa:

"A few years ago they (USA Basketball) didn't know who she is," Auriemma said. "Now you watch her on the court, you watch what she does and you see the results at the end of the game, it is pretty remarkable what she does. there is nothing spectular that she does but she does all the little things that need to be done on the basketball and she does them every day. I think by the time this summer is over, Napheesa is not going to be an incoming freshman anymore. She will hit the freshman wall, she will have her struggles just like Stewie did and Moriah did but mentally you are going to be a different player than the player who graduated from high school four months ago."

Playing in MDC still up in the air:

Auriemma also said that participation in the Maggie Dixon Classic is up in the air. The original plan was to play Kentucky but the SEC changed up some things with the bye weeks in the SEC schedule impacting the availability to play non-conference games in January. As of right now there is an opening in the schedule and word is UConn officials are closing in on filling the spot although time will tell if it will result in a game at the annual Maggie Dixon Classic.

 

[Kaizen]

1. Pray Moriah is OK from concussion.

2.Wish Katie Lou's mom get well and glad that Katie Lou will return late summer on schedule.

3. Nurse, you are great.

4. Napheesa, you will be great.

 

[bschwartz]

"Both players left the game. Nurse was able to return but Auriemma said Jefferson suffered a concussion and did not return."


John Altavilla
@jaltavilla

Geno says Moriah Jefferson sustained a concussion in Monday's World University Games final vs. @CanBball when she collided with @KayNurse11

G-dapeed...thoughts and prayers

 

[Huskies Rule]

"Auriemma also said that participation in the Maggie Dixon Classic is up in the air. The original plan was to play Kentucky but the SEC changed up some things with the bye weeks in the SEC schedule impacting the availability to play non-conference games in January. As of right now there is an opening in the schedule and word is UConn officials are closing in on filling the spot although time will tell if it will result in a game at the annual Maggie Dixon Classic."

Ten years ago I met Maggie and her brother (Pitt coach) Jamie. We talked, and however brief, it was a special memory. It would be fitting if the best women's basketball team in the country was able to honor her by somehow managing to play in the Maggie Dixon Classic.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

When you see someone sitting on the bench with an ice pack strapped to their head
you know it can't be good.

Moriah needs plenty of rest. I'm sure the UConn staff will take good care of her.

 

[jsloanjr]

o hoops Sept 15th.......REST

 

[UcMiami]

Moriah has plenty of time to recover though it may put a little hitch in the 700-1000 shots a day routine! While it was obviously very painful, most concussions take a relatively short time to recover from - and most activities are not proscribed, just anything that might cause another bump on the head or a rapid acceleration/deceleration of the head. (Keep Stef and her skydiving away from her!) She seemed to have recovered quite a bit by the time of the awards ceremony.

And while collisions and falls do occur in basketball it is not a sport that has a history of concussions - the only player I can remember who had career issues (men or women) was that woman who transferred to Texas after her California college training staff/doctors refused to clear her to ever play again for that school. (can't think of her name at the moment.)

 

[JS]

the only player I can remember who had career issues (men or women) was that woman who transferred to Texas after her California college training staff/doctors refused to clear her to ever play again for that school. (can't think of her name at the moment.)

Jamie Carey.

 

[stamfordhusky]

There have been a number of basketball players other than Carey who got shut down for extended periods (a year or more) due to concussions - and others who had to stop playing the sport completely. For example, another Stanford player (Toni Kokenis) recently had to give up basketball due to multiple concussions. For another example, a very good Connecticut HS soph had to end a very promising basketball career due to concussion issues last winter. Same with a NJ high schooler four or five years ago. And many others. Also there have been at least four high-profile women's college soccer players who had to walk away from the sport in recent years. Probably many more who didn't generate any national publicity. And probably too many football and hockey players to even count.

Hopefully this is Moriah's first one - because typically each one tends to have a longer recovery period than the previous one. Plus players become more susceptible to future concussions once they have had one. I don't know if there has been a good study on basketball players, but I do know that a McGill University study found that soccer players who have had a previous concussion are 4-6 times more likely to have a future concussion than are those who have never had one.

 

[UcMiami]

There have been a number of basketball players other than Carey who got shut down for extended periods (a year or more) due to concussions - and others who had to stop playing the sport completely. For example, another Stanford player (Toni Kokenis) recently had to give up basketball due to multiple concussions. For another example, a very good Connecticut HS soph had to end a very promising basketball career due to concussion issues last winter. Same with a NJ high schooler four or five years ago. And many others. Also there have been at least four high-profile women's college soccer players who had to walk away from the sport in recent years. Probably many more who didn't generate any national publicity. And probably too many football and hockey players to even count.

Hopefully this is Moriah's first one - because typically each one tends to have a longer recovery period than the previous one. Plus players become more susceptible to future concussions once they have had one. I don't know if there has been a good study on basketball players, but I do know that a McGill University study found that soccer players who have had a previous concussion are 4-6 times more likely to have a future concussion than are those who have never had one.

Soccer is actually supposed to be the worst team sport for conclusions - american football gets all the press, but the frequent heading of the ball in soccer leads to lots of small concussive events and like boxing it takes a toll over time. A soccer ball traveling at speed and or from a significant height carries a lot of momentum. Add in the collisions with other players and it is very dangerous. Add in the issues with ligaments in ankles and knees and soccer being a 'non-contact' sport is not very safe!

Thanks for the update on others in basketball

Uconn does baseline tests on the women so they will take proper precautions. Mariah does need to be aware of the dangers, but this single event is not something to be overly concerned with. That was all I was saying. And there is a month before she will next be on campus for pick-up games which is the next time she is likely to play with contact.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Soccer is actually supposed to be the worst team sport for conclusions - american football gets all the press, but the frequent heading of the ball in soccer leads to lots of small concussive events and like boxing it takes a toll over time. A soccer ball traveling at speed and or from a significant height carries a lot of momentum. Add in the collisions with other players and it is very dangerous. Add in the issues with ligaments in ankles and knees and soccer being a 'non-contact' sport is not very safe!

Thanks for the update on others in basketball

Uconn does baseline tests on the women so they will take proper precautions. Mariah does need to be aware of the dangers, but this single event is not something to be overly concerned with. That was all I was saying. And there is a month before she will next be on campus for pick-up games which is the next time she is likely to play with contact.

Yes, soccer is bad for concussions - but several new studies show that heading is not the main problem. Most soccer concussions are from head-to-head contact or head-to-shoulder or head-to-ground or sometimes head-to-goalpost. For example, this new study shows that less than 18% of soccer concussions came from contact with the ball or with the goal.

And while soccer has a lot of concussions, it is not nearly as bad as American football. Here are the concussion rates per 100,000 games/practices from one site:

• Football: 64 -76.8
• Boys' ice hockey: 54
• Girl's soccer: 33
• Boys' lacrosse: 40 - 46.6
• Girls' lacrosse: 31 - 35
• Boys' soccer: 19 - 19.2
• Boys' wrestling: 22 - 23.9
• Girls' basketball: 18.6 - 21
• Girls' softball: 16 - 16.3
• Boys' basketball: 16 - 21.2
• Girls' field hockey: 22 - 24.9

Other studies have slightly different results - but football is always #1 and is always well ahead of soccer. In fact almost half of all reported concussions in 2012 came from H.S. football.

 

[UcMiami]

Stamford - thanks.
There is though a lot of recent research into non-concussion, concussive events. Boxers for example may never be 'concussed', but the constant concussive events of their sport have a dangerous cumulative effect - linemen in football may only take a few blows to the head during a game, absorbing most of the punishment to other parts of their bodies, while soccer players may head a ball with force many more times in a game and in practice - the individual blows a lineman does take may be more forceful, just not as frequent.