Wake Forest Athletics
Health Comes Ahead of Postseason Dreams for Deacs
3/23/2020 12:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Gina Conti and Deacs continue to work towards goals while practicing social distancing.
By Les Johns
After grabbing a pair of wins in the ACC Tournament, the Wake Forest women's basketball team was expecting a chance to play for a championship pending an invitation to the WNIT.
The players got to return home for a handful of days before returning to campus to get prepared for postseason competition. Just three hours before the first practice was scheduled, they received the news that the event wasn't going to take place due to an abundance of caution as the nation deals with the Coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, they were all being sent back home, as Wake Forest was moving classes online to facilitate social distancing to help inhibit the spread of the contagious disease.
"We were excited coming out of the ACC Tournament, and had a chance to get home and be with our families," Wake Forest point guard Gina Conti said. "That was nice, but everyone was ready to get back and play in the WNIT. That was a goal we'd had for some time. We made a run in the ACC Tournament and felt like we'd made it there. We were all super-pumped and ready.
"With all this going on, that got taken away. It's kind of heartbreaking. We were looking forward to coming together one last time as a team and competing for an NIT championship."
Conti was hanging out with teammates Alex Sharp and Alexandria Scruggs when they got messages saying that practice was canceled. Head coach Jen Hoover told the group that she'd share the details at a lunch meeting.
"Then we found out we were going home that same day," Conti said. "There was a lot of emotion."
It ended up that the ACC Tournament third-round loss to Florida State became the final game for seniors Sharp, Raegyn Branch and Ona Udoh.
"So this is it?" Conti thought. "We're never going to play together again. We never had that moment on the court, because we knew we were likely to play in the WNIT. It was an emotional moment. It's a sisterhood. We were all sad and emotional."
Conti was sixth in the ACC in assists with 148 on the season, and she has 378 in her career. She helped the Deacs get to .500 this season with ACC Tournament wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
"It's super upsetting," Conti said. "For every athlete, your goal is to make the postseason, and we did that. We were excited about being back on campus. We were looking to win a championship in the WNIT. I understand, however, the precautions we have to take because of this devastating virus. It's a heartbreak, but I understand.
"You just want to keep winning. We wanted to make it to Sunday (the ACC Championship game). We had grit and determination, and showed that by winning those two games. We needed those two to have an opportunity to play in the postseason. We got the opportunity and seized it. It was exciting, but now sad. It was great for our team."
Once Hoover met with the team, she explained the specifics, including that they needed to pack up and head home.
"Everyone started looking for flights," Conti said. "It was a super-hectic day. Everyone packed up their dorm and moved out immediately.
"Everything hit just like that."
Conti had an appointment she needed to make, so she was still on a deserted Wake Forest campus for a few more days. The elevators were empty, the dining halls had abbreviated hours and there were no cars in the parking lot.
Now that she's back home in Ohio, Conti will be using the concrete basketball court in her backyard to stay sharp.
"So I can shoot and work on my ball handling," she said. "There's a lot I do outside in my backyard. We have an app for our workouts, with weights or without, just in case we don't have access to a gym."
A leader both on and off the court, Conti enjoys being with her friends, but understands the ramifications of social distancing while battling the Coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm a people person and I want to be out of the house," she said. "But I know how serious this is. We just don't know if we're carrying the virus or not. That knowledge has helped me take various measures. It's really important.
"If we do have it, it's important to not spread it to others, to stop the spread of it. That way we can get back to school again. If we do the steps now, it will help later on. That's what helps me get through it."
The communication from Hoover, her staff and the entire Wake Forest athletic department has been outstanding during this situation, Conti said.
"It's been really good," she said. "We have an academic group with our assistant coaches. Our advisors have been emailing us. Coach Hoover has been emailing, texting and using the Teamwork app to keep in contact. They're making everything accessible and keeping it easy to talk to them, and it's the same way with our professors. Everyone is calm."
With an abundance of production returning and a talented freshmen class joining the team in the summer, Conti is excited about what they can do next season.
"This was just a glimpse of what we can do next year," she said. "It's really exciting that we're bringing back so much. We have three seniors graduating, but also have a great class coming in. We're all super-anxious, and ready to get back in the gym when we can."
After grabbing a pair of wins in the ACC Tournament, the Wake Forest women's basketball team was expecting a chance to play for a championship pending an invitation to the WNIT.
The players got to return home for a handful of days before returning to campus to get prepared for postseason competition. Just three hours before the first practice was scheduled, they received the news that the event wasn't going to take place due to an abundance of caution as the nation deals with the Coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, they were all being sent back home, as Wake Forest was moving classes online to facilitate social distancing to help inhibit the spread of the contagious disease.
"We were excited coming out of the ACC Tournament, and had a chance to get home and be with our families," Wake Forest point guard Gina Conti said. "That was nice, but everyone was ready to get back and play in the WNIT. That was a goal we'd had for some time. We made a run in the ACC Tournament and felt like we'd made it there. We were all super-pumped and ready.
"With all this going on, that got taken away. It's kind of heartbreaking. We were looking forward to coming together one last time as a team and competing for an NIT championship."
An unforgettable week in Greensboro.
— Wake Women's Hoops (@WakeWBB) March 6, 2020
We appreciate everyone who came out to cheer us on to the quarterfinals 💛🖤#GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/09FwNL6E8M
Conti was hanging out with teammates Alex Sharp and Alexandria Scruggs when they got messages saying that practice was canceled. Head coach Jen Hoover told the group that she'd share the details at a lunch meeting.
"Then we found out we were going home that same day," Conti said. "There was a lot of emotion."
It ended up that the ACC Tournament third-round loss to Florida State became the final game for seniors Sharp, Raegyn Branch and Ona Udoh.
"So this is it?" Conti thought. "We're never going to play together again. We never had that moment on the court, because we knew we were likely to play in the WNIT. It was an emotional moment. It's a sisterhood. We were all sad and emotional."
Conti was sixth in the ACC in assists with 148 on the season, and she has 378 in her career. She helped the Deacs get to .500 this season with ACC Tournament wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
"It's super upsetting," Conti said. "For every athlete, your goal is to make the postseason, and we did that. We were excited about being back on campus. We were looking to win a championship in the WNIT. I understand, however, the precautions we have to take because of this devastating virus. It's a heartbreak, but I understand.
"You just want to keep winning. We wanted to make it to Sunday (the ACC Championship game). We had grit and determination, and showed that by winning those two games. We needed those two to have an opportunity to play in the postseason. We got the opportunity and seized it. It was exciting, but now sad. It was great for our team."
Once Hoover met with the team, she explained the specifics, including that they needed to pack up and head home.
"Everyone started looking for flights," Conti said. "It was a super-hectic day. Everyone packed up their dorm and moved out immediately.
"Everything hit just like that."
Conti had an appointment she needed to make, so she was still on a deserted Wake Forest campus for a few more days. The elevators were empty, the dining halls had abbreviated hours and there were no cars in the parking lot.
Now that she's back home in Ohio, Conti will be using the concrete basketball court in her backyard to stay sharp.
"So I can shoot and work on my ball handling," she said. "There's a lot I do outside in my backyard. We have an app for our workouts, with weights or without, just in case we don't have access to a gym."
A leader both on and off the court, Conti enjoys being with her friends, but understands the ramifications of social distancing while battling the Coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm a people person and I want to be out of the house," she said. "But I know how serious this is. We just don't know if we're carrying the virus or not. That knowledge has helped me take various measures. It's really important.
"If we do have it, it's important to not spread it to others, to stop the spread of it. That way we can get back to school again. If we do the steps now, it will help later on. That's what helps me get through it."
The communication from Hoover, her staff and the entire Wake Forest athletic department has been outstanding during this situation, Conti said.
"It's been really good," she said. "We have an academic group with our assistant coaches. Our advisors have been emailing us. Coach Hoover has been emailing, texting and using the Teamwork app to keep in contact. They're making everything accessible and keeping it easy to talk to them, and it's the same way with our professors. Everyone is calm."
With an abundance of production returning and a talented freshmen class joining the team in the summer, Conti is excited about what they can do next season.
"This was just a glimpse of what we can do next year," she said. "It's really exciting that we're bringing back so much. We have three seniors graduating, but also have a great class coming in. We're all super-anxious, and ready to get back in the gym when we can."
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
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