For the Oregon women’s basketball team, the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament was like New Year’s Eve.
It was a chance to be reborn. A chance to start over after a season of brick walls standing in Oregon’s path.
That rebirth lasted only 40 minutes. One round and one more chance against UCLA.
But now the season has come to a close. There is no chance for a do-over, no mulligan and no advance to “Go” and collect $200 to start the path over.
The Ducks leave a bruised and beaten path behind them. A 12-16 overall record is far from the 22 wins Oregon racked up in the 2001-02 season. And the 8-10 showing in Pac-10 play was the first sub-.500 conference record since the first George Bush was in office.
“It’s hard to lose; we did have a tough season, and we played as hard as we could,” junior forward Cathrine Kraayeveld said.
Yet, Oregon could have given up long ago. Two weeks prior to the Pac-10 Tournament, the Ducks sat in ninth in the Pac-10. Two weeks later they entered the tournament in fifth place.
“Our coaches put one thing in our head and we just wanted to go out and achieve that goal of getting into the second game,” sophomore Andrea Bills said.
Nothing along the Oregon speedway ever went smoothly. Through adversity, injury and a short bench, the Ducks never could get out of second gear to reach what they thought was cruising speed.
But the finish line is now behind them, and the Ducks ended the season without a postseason appearance for the first time in nine seasons.
Oregon was outscored by an average of almost five points on the season against its opponents. The Ducks averaged 65.9 points per game, the second-lowest in the last decade.
In other season statistics, Oregon was beat out in almost every category by its opponents. The Ducks’ rebound margin was -3.4 and the turnover margin was -0.7. Oregon’s opponents averaged more steals, free-throws attempted and assists than the Ducks.
The problems began just four games into the season, when senior Shaquala Williams was dismissed for reasons still unknown.
Then, just before the winter break, Kraayeveld developed a staph infection in her knee. Kraayeveld was the backbone to the Oregon squad, leading the team in points and rebounds.
Oregon’s bench continued to shrink as sophomore Amy Parrish announced Christmas Eve that she would leave the team because of medical conditions.
“Just one thing after another skewered a lot of the things we were going to do,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “We understand that things are just out of our control, and we have to make the best of it.
The Ducks were left without a full bench for the majority of the regular season. Kraayeveld did return after 13 games but the damage had been done. At one point, Oregon suited up only eight players.
After a season that ended with three losses in the final four games, Oregon can only hope for a better go-around next winter. The Ducks will return four of their five starters.
Seniors Alissa Edwards and Kourtney Shreve part ways with Oregon. Kraayeveld will return for a senior season and Kedzie Gunderson, Bills and Brandi Davis all return as juniors.
Transfers Corrie Mizusawa and Chelsea Wagner will enter the lineup as guards after cheering from the bench this season. The Ducks will be expecting more guards in incoming freshmen Ashley Allen and Kaela Chapdelaine along with 6-foot-6-inch post player Jessie Shetters.
“They’re going to be young and going to be a little bit raw, but they are going to bring something that will contribute to our team immediately,” Smith said.
In 2003-04 it will be a different team with many new players. The expectations will again be there. And hopefully for the Ducks, the winning will return.