When injuries strike, it never seems like an isolated event. They accumulate and spread across teams and programs.
The Oregon women’s basketball team has experienced the phenomenon yet again.
Ellyce Ironmonger, Ellie Manou and Taylor Lilley have all had to deal with injuries of some sort this season. Point guard Tamika Nurse joined the list Saturday with a sprained shoulder suffered against UCLA. She recovered enough, though, to be able to play two days later against USC.
Last season, Oregon had to deal with a long-term injury to center Jessie Shetters and had to manage the minutes of forward Eleanor Haring.
Every team has to deal with injuries. It’s the successful teams who manage to win in spite of them.
As the midpoint of the Pacific-10 Conference season dawns on Oregon, the Ducks stand at a crossroads. They are 10-10 overall and 4-5 in conference play. With an NCAA Tournament bid a long shot, Oregon has an opportunity for a bid to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
The experience of postseason play would be invaluable for this year’s team with six freshmen and three sophomores. Oregon went last year, but for that squad, built around five seniors and a junior, it was more about extending their Duck careers and experiencing postseason play after missing the NCAA Tournament the season before.
That 2006-07 team had its shot at an NCAA Tournament berth with a 7-2 record in non-conference play, but by losing Shetters for an extended period, it lost a player who had been enjoying a breakout year offensively and defensively. They too went to the Los Angeles schools with a chance to move up into the upper half of the Pac-10, only to fall in heartbreaking fashion, dropping a double-overtime game to USC and two nights later falling at UCLA, again, after having a six-point halftime lead.
Oregon proceeded to lose four of its next five games and had to rely on a late surge to turn around its season.
The current Ducks have a difficult task ahead of them.
Oregon has to travel to the Arizona schools this week. It’s always a difficult road trip. The Ducks broke a six-game losing streak inside Arizona’s McKale Center with a win against the Wildcats last season.
But it becomes even more difficult upon their return to McArthur Court with the Bay Area schools coming to visit. In the best case scenario, Oregon earns splits both weekends. The Ducks follow those games with tough, but winnable games at the Washington schools.
Oregon then comes home for the final three games of the season against the Los Angeles schools, including rival Oregon State for the season finale.
If Oregon can split the next three weekends and close the season with three consecutive wins, it would put the Ducks at 16-13 and in line for a spot in the WNIT. In a season where Oregon has been incorporating so many new faces and seeing them adjust to Division I basketball, the WNIT would be an ideal stepping stone to making a run at an NCAA Tournament bid in 2008-09.
By next season, Oregon will be welcoming new athletic recruits, who will enhance Oregon’s young core, who will be that much better with a year of experience.
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