Following another incredible winning season, Women’s Basketball basks in the influence of your support
What motivates a Husky Women’s Basketball player?
Sure, it’s the chance to play a sport they love at the highest collegiate level. It’s the opportunity to earn a world-class UW education. It’s the energy from their dedicated fans and the exhilaration of a winning season. But in the end, the success and joy of being a Husky is dominated by one thing.
It’s the relationships.
Forwards Chantel Osahor and Hannah Johnson know first-hand how much those relationships mean. For Chantel, the powerful personal bonds she’s built have helped her rise above injuries and stress to earn a spot in history as Washington’s all-time leading rebounder.
“It’s the relationships you build on and off the court — with your teachers, students, teammates, coaches, the donors — that mean the most,” says the senior, who will earn her degree in political science in June. “You get to meet the donors who love watching us play, supporting us and helping us get through college.”
Both young women experienced what could have been career-ending injuries their freshman years at Washington. Chantel hurt her shoulder when she was struck by a car while riding her bicycle. The same year, she suffered a stress fracture in her foot and also underwent knee surgery. Hannah had back surgery for a herniated disc within a month of arriving at the UW, forcing her to skip play for an entire season.
Today, they look back and recognize how the generosity of donors drove their physical and emotional recovery. Like all 650 Washington student-athletes, they have access to the best possible medical care, psychological counseling, academic tutoring, nutrition, and leading-edge training and conditioning — all supported with gifts to The Competitive Edge Fund.
The team, which ended the season with a run to the Sweet Sixteen, also benefits from weekly team-building and communications sessions with sports psychologist Cassie Pasquariello. And they have the latest technology to analyze their play and their opponents’.
“We cherish everything that’s given to us,” states Hannah, a redshirt sophomore majoring in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies. “Having all these resources not only helps me become a better student-athlete, but it humbles me and makes me grateful not just for the opportunity to play basketball but for everything I have. It makes me want to give back in any way I can.”
Chantel agrees, adding: “You go through so many ups and downs as a student-athlete. Having the support of donors and fans and the University made us the good team we are today.”
But, again, it’s not the financial support that tops the most-appreciated list for both Hannah and Chantel.
“At the end of the day, we’re able to form a bond with the people who support us that will change us as individuals and help us grow as women,” says Hannah.
