The word went from bad to promising in a few of hours Wednesday night at the full-service Marriott in West Conshohocken, Pa. (Just an exit or two away from Geno’s old stomping ground of Norristown). First, Brittany Hunter did not practice and was unlikely to play for the second straight game against Villanova Thursday. About seven hours later, the news changed for the better. Despite not practicing and Geno’s loose fitting rule that states that a player will not play if she doesn’t practice the day before a game, Brittany was indeed on track to start against the Wildcats.
Come to find out, Brittany had no intentions of missing last night’s game. And in 13 minutes (5 pts., 4 reb.) she showed no signs of discomfort. In fact, she was bouncing around freely during warm-ups.
The fact that Brittany played is a good sign. Maybe the unpredictability of her unpredictable right knee won’t be so, well, unpredictable this season. She certainly has given the Huskies a spark each time she has stepped on the floor.
“I didn’t think I was out for a few games,’’ she said. “The way I hurt it (in the second half last Saturday against Hartford) I just knew how it felt and I just knew it was like a couple days off and I’d be OK. It just sucks because it’s four games consecutively. So I had to miss a game regardless. But it’s much better.’’
With two open days before the Huskies wrap up their two-game road trip at Purdue Sunday afternoon on CBS, Brittany appears poised to finish the four-game, nine-day stretch without further incident.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would’ve loved to have seen UConn and Tennessee battle in what has been their normal time slot tomorrow afternoon on CBS. Something tells me that the Notre Dame/Lady Vols matchup at the Joyce Center won’t generate the same national ratings. By the way, what time is Candace Parker’s curfew tonight?
Rich
