[81alum]

My main concern is the health of Nadia Fingall.  She went down twice.  The first time I think she was clutching her right knee, but after a trip to the locker room she returned later.  The second time she was definitely clutching her left knee.  I could be mixed up.

It was her left leg that was  hyperextended in the 3rd at 7:03 and that gave her trouble when she first came in, and then caused her to collapse when  she came in again.

4Q 9:32 Fingall’s first play after being put back in was a defensive effort against a  shooter in low. After a slight jump she landed only on her good right leg and hopped.  She  didn’t even make it to  the foul line on offense.
4Q 9:11 A rebound comes her way but she couldn’t jump for it, only putting up a hand to deflect it.  That cost us  2 points. 
At the other end, her play contributed to a turnover.   In the resulting defensive play, it seems unlikely that she even made it  to the half  court line.
 
4Q 8:51 Fingall goes out at a free throw.
4Q 8:22 Fingall comes back in at another USC free throw . Eight seconds later, as she sets her left leg to stop her motion,  she flinches & pulls her injured knee up as though she had a sharp pain, and collapses to the floor.  The male ref calls a phantom foul on the USC player.

MHO is that it was a risk to bring Fingall back in at 9:32.  After the way she looked out on the court (I'd  say that in 41 seconds she was mostly  responsible for a 6 point swing to  USC), it was absolutely unbelievable to me that she was put back in at 8:22.

Your sharp eyes aided by DVR are instructive.  It sounds as if she was definitely hurt at that point and the injury was having an impact on her play.  I doubt that such an injury will be gone a day and a half later.  Hopefully we will be pleasantly surprised.

Maya could conceivably be back, but if it was a mild ankle sprain that she had then it would probably be best to rest her too.  All the signs point for a less than standard package of bigs.

Our best hope I think is to see Lexie back.  She warmed up with the team on Friday, which points to her injury being healed but she was getting the rust off.  Having her back today could be more important, given the team we are playing, than getting Dodson or Fingall back.  UCLA is quick but not especially big.  Let us hope.

I could see a lineup at times like this:  Smith Hull Hull Carrington Williams or Smith Hull Carrington Williams Brown.

If Smith gets in foul trouble and Dodson and Fingall are out, we will likely lose. Jerome has not developed offensively as much as we would like. Coffee seems to have more offensive potential with both the occasional three point shot and a soft touch around the basket, but I have my doubts that she can be effective in man defense against this quick team. Perhaps we just play a zone around her?

I do hope Romano is OK.  I've always liked what I have seen of her both as a player and as an anthropology student.  This is the kind of game and situation when she might have gotten some time and helped the team.

[81alum]

My main concern is the health of Nadia Fingall.  She went down twice.  The first time I think she was clutching her right knee, but after a trip to the locker room she returned later.  The second time she was definitely clutching her left knee.  I could be mixed up.

It was her left leg that was  hyperextended in the 3rd at 7:03 and that gave her trouble when she first came in, and then caused her to collapse when  she came in again.

4Q 9:32 Fingall’s first play after being put back in was a defensive effort against a  shooter in low. After a slight jump she landed only on her good right leg and hopped.  She  didn’t even make it to  the foul line on offense.
4Q 9:11 A rebound comes her way but she couldn’t jump for it, only putting up a hand to deflect it.  That cost us  2 points. 
At the other end, her play contributed to a turnover.   In the resulting defensive play, it seems unlikely that she even made it  to the half  court line.
 
4Q 8:51 Fingall goes out at a free throw.
4Q 8:22 Fingall comes back in at another USC free throw . Eight seconds later, as she sets her left leg to stop her motion,  she flinches & pulls her injured knee up as though she had a sharp pain, and collapses to the floor.  The male ref calls a phantom foul on the USC player.

MHO is that it was a risk to bring Fingall back in at 9:32.  After the way she looked out on the court (I'd  say that in 41 seconds she was mostly  responsible for a 6 point swing to  USC), it was absolutely unbelievable to me that she was put back in at 8:22.

Your sharp eyes aided by DVR are instructive.  It sounds as if she was definitely hurt at that point and the injury was having an impact on her play.  I doubt that such an injury will be gone a day and a half later.  Hopefully we will be pleasantly surprised.

Maya could conceivably be back, but if it was a mild ankle sprain that she had then it would probably be best to rest her too.  All the signs point for a less than standard package of bigs.

Our best hope I think is to see Lexie back.  She warmed up with the team on Friday, which points to her injury being healed but she was getting the rust off.  Having her back today could be more important, given the team we are playing, than getting Dodson or Fingall back.  UCLA is quick but not especially big.  Let us hope.

I could see a lineup at times like this:  Smith Hull Hull Carrington Williams or Smith Hull Carrington Williams Brown.

If Smith gets in foul trouble and Dodson and Fingall are out, we will likely lose. Jerome has not developed offensively as much as we would like. Coffee seems to have more offensive potential with both the occasional three point shot and a soft touch around the basket, but I have my doubts that she can be effective in man defense against this quick team. Perhaps we just play a zone around her?

I do hope Romano is OK.  I've always liked what I have seen of her both as a player and as an anthropology student.  This is the kind of game and situation when she might have gotten some time and helped the team.