Her time has come
Westbrook excited about returning to play Tennessee
Third-ranked UConn’s Thursday matchup against No. 25 Tennessee isn’t just the Huskies’ second game this season against a ranked opponent. It isn’t just their first big road test in what’ll be the program’s first trip to Knoxville since 2006.
It’ll be the first time redshirt junior Evina Westbrook returns to Tennessee since transferring from the Lady Vols’ program to UConn in spring of 2019.
Following a 13-year hiatus, the two legendary rivals renewed their series last year, when UConn hosted Tennessee at the XL Center and came away with a 60-45 victory. Westbrook was on the sidelines for that game, on crutches as she recovered from left knee surgery that she underwent after the NCAA denied her a transfer waiver.
But this year Westbrook is healthy and eligible, has carved out an integral role oand is looking forward to finally getting to play against her former team.
“I’m not really nervous. I think just more anxious and excited to get down there and just play a game with my team,” Westbrook said Monday.
Westbrook’s departure from Tennessee following her sophomore year, as well as her request for a transfer waiver last season, caused a stir and led to a back-and-forth between the schools. Westbrook has never revealed specifics of why she left, but did reference off-the-court issues while she was still a student there. Geno Auriemma alluded multiple times to a toxic situation in Knoxville, saying, “You would not want your kid in that environment.”
Returning to the court this season, Westbrook has deflected focus away from what happened at Tennessee, reiterating that she’s moving forward in Storrs with a team and a program
that make her feel much more at home.
Tennessee’s program has also experienced remarkable turnover since Westbrook left. Current coach Kellie Harper replaced Holly Warlick around the time of Westbrook’s transfer, and only three players (Rae Burrell, Rennia Davis and Kasiyahna Kushkituah) were teammates of Westbrook’s.
“I’m really just focused on getting the W with my team,” Westbrook said. “I’m not really focused on them and what they have going on over there. We have a goal, we have things that we need to get done for us, so I’m really locked in and focused on that.”
Westbrook’s ineligibility last year delayed her debut with the Huskies, but so far she’s received nothing but glowing reviews from the coaching staff and her teammates.
Auriemma has consistently praised her resiliency and leadership, while freshman Paige Bueckers recently called her the “heart and soul” of this young Huskies team.
“E’s going through a lot of adjustments, not just
her game, but her body,” Auriemma said Tuesday after Westbrook finished with 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting, as well as three assists, three blocks and one steal, in a 103-35 win over Butler on Tuesday night. “I like that she’s able to keep her aggressiveness, and she’s a vocal player when she’s out there. She makes things happen for us.”
Though Westbrook’s knee issues are nagging, she’s managed to look more and more comfortable on the court as the season has progressed. She reached double figures on Tuesday for the fifth straight game, and typically spearheads UConn’s defense and its intensity on that end of the floor.
“When E couldn’t play that year, it took even longer to figure out, ‘Well, what are we getting exactly?’ ” Auriemma said. “And when a kid changes schools, they’ve got to carve out their own role. They’ve got to find their own happy place on that team. And you can’t come in when you change schools and say, ‘I got this. Everybody, I’m in charge.’ That’s got to evolve organically, that’s just got to
come. And then you have to back it up.”
UConn adds game with Arkansas: After a slew of nonconference game cancellations due to COVID-19 issues, UConn has added a big-time matchup against another highly ranked team. The Huskies will travel to No. 15 Arkansas Jan. 28 to face the Razorbacks in their second big nonconference game of the season. The game will tip at 5 p.m. and air on ESPN2.
Arkansas is 11-5, including 2-4 in SEC play, with l osses to Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and South Carolina, but a win over Baylor.
UConn has had four non-league games canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
The Huskies are set to play in their first big nonconference game Thursday, playing No. 25 Tennessee on the road. After traveling to Arkansas, they will host No. 4 South Carolina at home on Feb. 8. UConn is 1-0 all-time against Arkansas, a 100-64 win on Nov. 14, 1998.