On one hand, the Ducks have a season to prepare for, one that can begin as early as Nov. 25 under NCAA rules. The UO women began formal practices in early October, and now have less than a month to go before taking the court for the first time without departed stars Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally.
On the other hand, the world is still engulfed in a pandemic and nothing seems particularly normal, for the Ducks or anyone else. Graves is adapting his practices for the sake of his players' physical health — masks are worn throughout, even in full-speed scrimmages — and he's taking steps to attend to their mental health as well.
Along with shooting drills and rebounding gantlets, the Ducks are also keeping journals and practicing meditation, to help them process these most unusual circumstances.
"I'm positive, but I don't (usually) need the fluff in my program," Graves said. "And we're giving them a little fluff this year. …
"I think our head spaces are pretty good right now. We're where we should be."
The Ducks may be moving on without their "Big Three" of WNBA top-10 picks, but they're not lacking for leadership. Fifth-year seniors Erin Boley and Lydia Giomi are "two of the best leaders you're ever going to see," Graves said, and junior guard Taylor Chavez "has all the intangibles that Sabrina brought to the court."
The culture those veterans sowed this offseason provided a hearty yield this fall. Graves said players improved their strength levels even better than he might have expected over the summer. And practicing in masks might be a factor in the Ducks' impressive conditioning levels.
"Kudos to a really focused and dedicated team," Graves said.
Boley, Giomi, Chavez and sophomore sharpshooter Jaz Shelley are the most familiar faces returning for the reigning Pac-12 regular-season and conference tournament champions. They're joined by three newly eligible transfers, including another elite shooter in Taylor Mikesell and inside-outside threat Sedona Prince, the 6-foot-7 sophomore who joined the Ducks last season and practiced with the team.
Graves said this will be Oregon's best outside shooting team in his seven seasons with the program. Given Prince's elite skill level in the post, not to mention that of Nyara Sabally, the offense could run through the post more often, designed to create more open three-point opportunities.
"But," Graves added, "the basic structure of what we do on a daily basis and the offense that we run is gonna be the same, for the most part."
The Ducks have also spent the last few weeks indoctrinating their top-rated recruiting class. Oregon could field a competitive team with its freshman class alone, featuring Te-Hina Paopao and Maddie Scherr in the backcourt, Sydney Parrish and Angela Dugalic on the wings, and Kylee Watson in the post.
Execution in practice has been "a little bit of a roller-coaster ride" while blending the returning vets and the newcomers, Graves said.
"Some days we look like world-beaters, and other days we look not so good," Graves said. "Who knows what we'll look like early. But I think by the end, we'll be a tough out for people."
The Link LonkOctober 30, 2020 at 11:53PM
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