The UConn women’s basketball team just finished their season, winning the national championship over South Carolina. The Huskies dominated their way to victory, soaring to a triumphant win. Stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd shined for Head Coach Geno Auriemma, who had them prepared for the biggest game of their lives. Part of this preparation was watching and going over film with the team so that they could get a good sense of their opponents. The other was practice, and for the women’s team, they have some unique hands helping them do that. The UConn women’s basketball practice team is at every practice, and they play a crucial role in the team’s success. They might not be on the court with the Huskies during the game, but they are preparing them for the in-game scenarios that they might face. For some of the players on the women’s team, playing against male practice players can be an adjustment at first. Many are not accustomed to this in high school but at the collegiate level, it’s common practice to enhance their play on the floor.
The practice players also do much more than just being a body on the court. It’s their job to also scout opponents and play like them in practice. The squad has to learn how to play in a balanced way where they are being competitive while still maintaining player safety. The practice players are essentially student-athletes, as they participate in most team activities, minus being in the actual games. The athletes still need to maintain a 2.3 GPA for the school with which they practice with, and they also have five years of eligibility like a normal college athlete on a varsity sports team would. This makeup creates an interesting perspective of being a student-athlete while not getting the same recognition.
Many of the practice players also have their own unique experiences on why they chose to follow this route in college. Many do it for the love of the game and some do it just to be close to the team, although they all have their reasons. Sophomore Kam Zaheer explained his reasoning for joining, “I have been a UConn basketball fan my whole life and I joined because I wanted to experience greatness and help the best college basketball program of all time become even better,” Zaheer said.
Many, including Zaheer, just want a chance to be a part of the greatness that Geno Auriemma has built over the years. Being able to say that you guarded Paige Bueckers in practice means a lot to these athletes, as Bueckers will go on to be the number one pick in the WNBA draft in the coming weeks. The practice players are not taken for granted, and that is why they, along with all the other support staff for the team, will be getting national championship rings to show their hard work and sacrifice throughout the season. Zaheer and many others may not be national champions on paper, however, the tenacity that they bring to every single practice shows that they are in spirit.