Hitting The Ground Running
10/09/18 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
With most of the key players back from last year's Elite Eight team, the Oregon women are off to a fast start to practices for this season.
It was only practice five for the 2018-19 season, Monday afternoon on an auxiliary court at Matthew Knight Arena, but it might as well have been March.
The Oregon women's basketball team wrapped up the workout with some free-throw shooting, but not before a few minutes of 5-on-5 against the squad of male practice players they employ. Soon after the scrimmage started, sophomore guard Morgan Yaeger hit a three-pointer from the corner, the kind of shot departed senior Lexi Bando made so often the past four years.
Then transfer Erin Boley, eligible this season after sitting out last year, hit a three from the wing. Senior point guard Maite Cazorla did the same. Returning Pac-12 player of the year Sabrina Ionescu provided the exclamation point to the barrage, hitting one of her patented step-back threes from the top of the arc.
"Fellas," Ionescu announced during a break in play to nobody in particular, but also everyone in the gym, "this is a clinic."
The defending Pac-12 champs are showing no rust from the offseason as they begin practices for a 2018-19 season that opens Nov. 6 at Alaska Fairbanks. Motivated by the sting of an Elite Eight loss to eventual national champion Notre Dame, which the Ducks led at halftime, the UO women hit the ground running this fall.
"Even though we don't have a ton of numbers, we have a lot of kids back," head coach Kelly Graves said. "We can start at a higher plane, and the intensity's there. They're not having to think; sometimes you lose intensity when you have to think. They're just reacting and playing, so it's been fun."
On Wednesday, Graves, Ionescu and junior forward Ruthy Hebard will represent the Ducks at Pac-12 Media Day in San Francisco. The conference's preseason poll also will be unveiled; at the end of the day, the UO contingent will hustle back to Eugene, to resume dominating their male practice players in workouts.
"We were dialed in today," Graves said after Monday's display of sharp-shooting. "That was fun to watch. This is the best group of practice guys we've had, and we put a lickin' on 'em."
Dominating in practice won't sooth the pain of last year's Elite Eight defeat. But it will set the stage for righting that wrong come next spring.
"We understand our goals, and what it takes to get where we want to be," Ionescu said. "And I think it's showing in practice. …
"We were really dialed in today, and focused. If we can do that every day, we're going to continue to get better."
At one point in Monday's 5-on-5 sessions, Ionescu said, Graves spontaneously called a play the Ducks used last season, but hadn't reviewed yet this fall.
No problem; only freshman guard Taylor Chavez was confused. Otherwise, Oregon returns all veterans from its Elite Eight run, including four of the five starters against Notre Dame, along with key reserve Oti Gildon.
A knee injury to the other incoming freshman, Nyara Sabally, does have Graves wary of the Ducks' limited depth entering the season. With Boley expected to replace Bando in the starting lineup, that leaves only four available bench players.
"Coach is really pushing recovery this year," said Hebard, noting that at times she and Gildon have been the only participants for post drills. "Mental toughness and physical toughness is going to be a big thing this year for me."
Graves is doing what he can to ease the wear on his roster. Monday's 5-on-5 period was brief, and that will become a trend.
"We have been practicing shorter than we normally do," he said. "We spend a lot of time in position breakdowns, or skill development. A lot of shooting. We don't do a whole lot of 5-on-5; we just don't. Maybe 15 minutes, max, a day, to keep them fresh. And then we work on post-practice recovery, and a lot of rehab before. It's a six-month marathon."
Having nine available players is more than adequate for games, Graves noted; he likes a rotation of about seven to eight regulars. And it's not lost on the Ducks that Notre Dame's injury ravaged roster went all the way to the national championship, relying on just six players by the end of that run.
"That's the motivation," Hebard said. "To prove that we can do it as well."
Sabally's season-ending injury, suffered in an international tournament, was a disappointing bit of news to kick things off for the Ducks. But it hasn't all been bad news on the health front.
Forward Lydia Giomi is a couple weeks away from being cleared full-go, after her foot injury in the postseason last spring. And guard Morgan Yaeger is practicing at 100 percent after sitting out last season as a redshirt due to injury.
"Morgan, since day one, she looks terrific," Graves said. "Right now I'd say her and Oti Gildon are two of the biggest surprises we have. They're both playing really, really well."
The limited depth could mean an expanded role for Boley, the 6-foot-2 former national high school player of the year who transferred from Notre Dame last year. Expected to fill Bando's spot on the wing, Boley also could put her size to use if needed in the post.
"I think she's really going to help us be diverse offensively," Graves said. "… She's strong, number one. And she's got a tough mentality. She'll be able to play a five spot if she has to."
