Spring Break
Greene will return next season, wants a shot at a title now
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: Sports
HARTFORD - After months of speculation, Kalana Greene put to rest doubts of her future this week: she will return for the 2009-10 season.
That announcement was made possible thanks to last year's season-ending ACL injury - her worst nightmare.
Indeed, the 2007-08 season marked the Huskies' first season going to the Final Four during her time at UConn. It was a time of excitement as the team entered the race for a national title once again.
Greene's injury, however, forced her to sit on the sidelines. A charismatic player on the floor, she watched the team win handedly against Cornell and Texas in Bridgeport. She cheered her teammates on against Old Dominion and saw them beat Rutgers for the second time that season, propelling the team to Tampa, Fla.
There, she looked on as the Huskies struggled against Stanford and lost.
This year, as one of three captains, Greene said repeatedly that she felt it was her chance to make up for lost time, to help UConn get back to where it was last season. With Caroline Doty down, her urgency grew.
Maya Moore said Greene is a threat to other teams when she is able to hit her outside shot.
"I think it just deflates the other team," she said after last week's game against No. 19 Pittsburgh.
For the Huskies, her return means another year with a versatile player who can provide the team with leadership. For Greene, she can continue to work on not only individual milestones - she is 126 points away from the 1,000 point mark - but also team ones.
And, possibly, another national championship.
Though she made her decision public recently, Renee Montgomery, who is also Greene's roommate, said that she had known since the second game that her roommate was coming back.
And there were signs that Greene had made up her mind several weeks ago at practice, answering questions about her future with a sly smile and tiptoeing around giving a definitive answer.
Still, her announcement came just in time for the No. 1 women's basketball team to face No. 24 Notre Dame and come away with a hard-fought win, 76-66.
That announcement was made possible thanks to last year's season-ending ACL injury - her worst nightmare.
Indeed, the 2007-08 season marked the Huskies' first season going to the Final Four during her time at UConn. It was a time of excitement as the team entered the race for a national title once again.
Greene's injury, however, forced her to sit on the sidelines. A charismatic player on the floor, she watched the team win handedly against Cornell and Texas in Bridgeport. She cheered her teammates on against Old Dominion and saw them beat Rutgers for the second time that season, propelling the team to Tampa, Fla.
There, she looked on as the Huskies struggled against Stanford and lost.
This year, as one of three captains, Greene said repeatedly that she felt it was her chance to make up for lost time, to help UConn get back to where it was last season. With Caroline Doty down, her urgency grew.
Maya Moore said Greene is a threat to other teams when she is able to hit her outside shot.
"I think it just deflates the other team," she said after last week's game against No. 19 Pittsburgh.
For the Huskies, her return means another year with a versatile player who can provide the team with leadership. For Greene, she can continue to work on not only individual milestones - she is 126 points away from the 1,000 point mark - but also team ones.
And, possibly, another national championship.
Though she made her decision public recently, Renee Montgomery, who is also Greene's roommate, said that she had known since the second game that her roommate was coming back.
And there were signs that Greene had made up her mind several weeks ago at practice, answering questions about her future with a sly smile and tiptoeing around giving a definitive answer.
Still, her announcement came just in time for the No. 1 women's basketball team to face No. 24 Notre Dame and come away with a hard-fought win, 76-66.
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