Timing is everything, and for coach Andy Landers and Georgia’s Lady Bulldogs, there couldn’t be a better time than now to finally have a full complement of players.
Georgia opens play Friday in the SEC women’s basketball tournament in Nashville against either Alabama or South Carolina. The No. 16 Lady Bulldogs (22-7, 10-5 SEC) enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed. They have won four SEC tournament titles (1983, 1984, 1986 and 2001).
That Georgia had a first-round bye is a blessing, considering the Lady Bulldogs rarely played a game this season — or even held a practice — in which every available player was present and accounted for. Injuries, illness, family emergencies and even dental work kept out at least one player, and usually more, every week.
According to a statistic compiled by the UGA sports-communications staff, players missed a total of 164 days of practice this season. That tally doesn’t include 6-foot-4 center Marisela Rodriguez, who was lost before the season because of a preexisting knee injury.
In all, only four players have made it to every practice — Jasmine Hassell, Khaalidah Miller, Tamika Willis and Danielle Bennett.
“We’re calling those four our ‘birthday party ponies,’” Landers quipped. “They’re healthy as horses, so we ride them hard for two hours every day.”
That extended to games as well. Star guard Jasmine James missed seven games due to a knee injury and a death in the family. Forward Krista Donald missed four games due to a knee injury and having her wisdom teeth removed. Even first-team, All-SEC sophomore Anne Marie Armstrong saw her playing time limited in several games because of an ankle injury and an illness.
But when the Bulldogs boarded their plane for Nashville on Wednesday, every player got on with the intention of playing in the tournament.
“We do have everyone healthy for the first time in months,” Landers said. “It isn’t quite to the point where it’s going to pay the greatest benefits, but it is going to pay some benefits right now. To get the great benefit, we’re going to need to get more practices and more games in.”
The chief benefit of it all is that Georgia enters the postseason with one of its more balanced groups in years. In the past, the Lady Bulldogs have had a star player on which they could depend for scoring. But just 4.2 points separates the leading scorer (Hassell with 13.1 points per game) on this year’s team and the fifth-leading scorer (senior guard Meredith Mitchell with 8.9).
“It’s great for us because we don’t necessarily have to depend on one person to produce and have all the pressure on them,” said Mitchell, who earned SEC Player of the Week honors this final week of the regular season. “We have very capable players who can score in many different ways. That definitely helps us.”
Said Landers: “I’ve watched them play 29 games. When we take the floor, I do not know who our leading scorer is going to be. I think that’s a good thing.”
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