That's All She Wrote

It may sound cliché, but all good things do come to an end. Facing elimination in the semi-finals last Saturday, we came out large and in charge – beating Vagos by 20 points. It was great getting back on track and evening up the series. The victory forced a game 3 to be played the following day (Sunday), with the winner punching a ticket to the finals.

Unfortunately, a win wasn’t in the cards for us. Maintaining a lead the entire game and up 8-points with 5 minutes remaining, we started to play scared and much too conservative. Unforced turnovers, stupid shots and lackadaisical defense allowed Vagos back in the game, as they evened the score at 54 with 30 seconds to play. Holding the last possession with 18 seconds on the clock and in the bonus, I knew if Casey or I got the ball in our hands we would win the game. However, neither of us touched the rock on the final possession and the set play for our guards didn’t allow us to get a shot up. Overtime. I got a bad feeling in my stomach when Vagos hit a 3 on their first possession. We traded baskets for most of 5 minutes, but sadly were one shot short when the final buzzer sounded. Heartbreaking and disappointing are words that come to mind. It was our game to lose and we did just that. I won’t be surprised if Olivais dispatches Vagos in 3 straight.

After somewhat getting the bitter taste of defeat out of my mouth, I find it hard to believe my life in Portugal is coming to a close. Six and a half months of hard work, aches and pains are over. Though not reaching the result I had hoped for, I find myself emotional at the thought of leaving this beautiful island Monday night. Normally at the end of a season, foreign players can’t wait to get home. Though I miss family and friends, I’m really sad to be leaving Madeira and all the great people I’ve developed relationships with here. I’ve met friends I hope to keep for life and can’t believe ‘the crew’ won’t be going out together for Karaoke night at Cup & Cino, hitting up the Irish bar for live music, eating at our 3 favorite restaurants, unwinding at the spa, laying out at the beach or dancing the night away at Copa Cabana and Klub Kool. It doesn’t seem real and it’s hard to see this chapter of my life come to a close. I’ve been fortunate in my overseas situations thus far, but can’t imagine the next stop being much better than this. I’ve found a friend for life in Casey, who I plan to keep in close touch with for a long time and became very close with the men’s players. Life goes on and people go their separate ways. That’s one of the hardest things about being a professional athlete abroad - knowing you probably won’t ever see the people you’ve developed close relationships again.

That being said, I thought I would share the highs and lows of my season spent in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

Highs:

• Living on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where it was warm and sunny for almost all 6 months. During my time here, it probably rained a total of one week.
• Discovering Chinesas (Portuguese coffee with steamed milk) and thus my new love for coffee.
• The men’s team and the friendships I developed with both the American and Portuguese players. I’m going to especially miss spending time with Jason, Bobby, Lance and David.
• Cup & Cino Monday night Karaoke.
• The beautiful views I woke up to every morning. Wait, let me rephrase that – the beautiful views period. Madeira is gorgeous.
• Laying out on the sand lacking beaches (Madeira is a volcanic island – thus every beach is a rock beach).
• Fresh baked pastries and breads. These are dangerous, but you can’t help but have one…or two a day. From pastel de nadas to bolo de cacos – mouth-watering carbs could be found at any of the numerous cafes lining every street.
• Santa Cruz spa – where we basically got in for free any time we wanted.
• My Portuguese teammates. They’re really nice girls who went out of their way to make me feel comfortable in this foreign country. Also, Juca and Carlos – not only were they my coaches, but they became my friends.
• Um…Bongo – an amazing flavored juice that might actually rival Jussi Juice from Finland.
• Carrot soup – can’t say I’ve ever had it until arriving in Portugal. It quickly became a favorite!
• Stradivarius - pretty sure I spent a good chunk of my paycheck at this clothing store every month. Fashionable clothing with a great Eurostyle that I sadly won’t find at home.
• Moynihans Irish Bar - our go to hangout, where we’d often go just to get out of the house. We became close with 2 of the bartenders (one from South Africa, one from New Zealand) and will miss spending time with them every week.
• Kool Klub – the best dance club on the island that played live and classic American music.
• Placing second in the league while also giving league champions Olivais their only 2 losses of the season.
• The double-cheek hello/goodbye kiss.
• Fresh fruit and veggies from the farmers market.
• Cobblestone streets, historic buildings, old statues and timeless monuments.
• Casey Nash – a great person, teammate and friend. The things we’ve done, places we’ve seen and laughs we had are priceless. I truly hope this is a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Lows:

• Not being on the mainland, making travel to different countries/cities very difficult/costly.
• Losing a heartbreaker in the semi-finals, knowing we deserved to be in the championship.
• Not having a car on this extremely mountainous island. We walked almost everywhere as we often missed our buses by minutes.
• Boggling (a word we made up – basically hiking at an extremely slow pace b/c of the steep inclination) up our massive hill everyday 2+ times a day.
• The refereeing in Portugal.
• Smoking and smokers EVERYWHERE. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that British Columbia does not allow smoking in public places. Here I felt like I smoked a pack every time I went out.
• Sloooooow internet.
• Our practice slot from 9 -11pm every night. Ugh.
• Having extremely irritated achilles for most of the season. I’m convinced it was a result of all our steep hill walking. Surprisingly this past month the pain just disappeared. Weird, but great!
• Cockroaches and centipedes somehow always finding ways into our house.
• Stray cats and dogs everywhere! This is related to the dog poop we saw with every step we took. You really need to be on alert when walking anywhere outside of downtown.
• Living near Nazaré – a very shady area on the other side of our gym.
• The crazy lady and men in Nazaré who think they are our best friends. They also thought it was funny to yell sexual remarks at us.
• Seafood rice and mystery meat soup at the café. Not quite my fancy.

There isn’t much I can complain about during my stay on Madeira. I had the time of my life and will keep the memories I have with me forever. That being said, as the season comes to a close – so does my blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading it every week as much as I have enjoyed posting to it. The next time it will be updated is when I sign with a new team for the upcoming season in September. However, I’ll be sure to keep readers out there posted if anything else fabulous happens during my life from May through August. I’ve had a few requests for posts about Hoopfest, a 3 on 3 street ball tournament I play in every year at the end of June, so that’s also a possibility.

I appreciate any comments, suggestions or ideas at anytime. Feel free to contact me through the blog and I’ll try my best to get back to you. I love getting feedback. Thank you everyone for all your support this season!

Love,

Breanne

Very Superstitious

In my years of playing competitive sports, I’ve encountered numerous personalities – allowing me to witness the superstitions many athletes have. They range from interesting, to bizarre to flat out comical. It’s fascinating to see what some people feel they need to do to get themselves ready for game time.

I myself like to think that I’m not that superstitious, rather, I like to complete certain routines before I step on the hardwood. I don’t believe they will guarantee a win or enhance my performance, however, I feel they calm my nerves and prepare me mentally for the task I’m about to face. For example, the night before a game I like to eat a good dinner full of carbohydrates. A couple of hours before game time I listen to my ipod and start focusing on what I need to accomplish on the court. I never wear my uniform to the gym, as I prefer to put it on when I get to the locker room. I always wear 2 pairs of socks, with it being very important that my knee-highs end just below my knees. After dressing in my game attire, I rinse my mouth guard and head for the court.

Once I step onto the hardwood it’s time to start my warm up routine. This is where I like to complete things in 3’s or multiples of 3’s. First its layups from the right, left and center, then form shooting just outside the key from the right, left and center. After I complete these 2 sets and have made my shots in succession without a miss, I’m ready to shoot around and get into team drills.

The only real superstition that I’ll actually call a superstition is ‘knock on wood.’ Whenever a bad thought passes through my mind or I start thinking negatively, I either knock on my forehead or literally knock on some wood nearby. Whether it’s saved me from injury or making future mistakes – I’ll never know. But the thought of doing it is a security blanket; I convince myself that I’ve scared the negativity away! A little strange, I know – but it works for me.

My superstition is naught compared to what I’ve seen past and present teammates do. I’ve had teammates who wear the same spandex, sports bra or underwear every game day. People who put on their right sock before the left, left shoe before their right and put their shorts on left leg, right leg and so on. Some need to be the first out of the locker room or first one in. Many need to listen to the exact same song before hitting the court. The craziest one I witnessed was a girl who said she needed to take the first shot of the game no matter what. The funny thing is she actually tried to do it every time – good shot or bad. WHAT?! I’m pretty sure the first shot of the game should be the first open look someone has, not whether it’s a part of your superstitions or not. That one was weird and come to think of it, very selfish.

That being said, everyone has their own superstitions that they believe help prepare them for their performance. There’s no right or wrong – its just an interesting concept that toes the line between sanity and being OCD.

Basketball Update: Last weekend in the playoff semi-finals we lost the first game of the best of 3 series, putting us in a do or die situation tomorrow. I hate having my back against the wall, but have a good feeling about this weekend. We couldn’t have played worse in our first game out. Being on the road, in a gym that has given us trouble before, we shot terribly and played even worse defense. I’m going to go out and say, it was probably the worst game we played all year and was the worst time to be playing like that. Winning Saturday forces a game 3 Sunday – both to be played here in Madeira. This weekend is huge and if we lose, it’s literally over and I’ll be home next week. If and when we pull off these two games we live to see another week and play for the league title. So put on your red at home and be thinking of me and CAB Madeira!

-BW

What If...

Have you ever played the 'what if' game? It’s dangerous and often leads to over thinking of past situations - which is never a good thing. The past is the past and there is no way to change it; so why waste time wondering what could have been?

That being said, I subconsciously play this game with myself all the time. It’s not that I want to, but whenever I have an excessive amount of free time 'what if' thoughts pop into my mind. I can honestly say I don’t have any regrets in life. However, looking back, I can think of numerous situations I would have approached differently - we all can.

These thoughts tend to hit me when I’m at peace and am taking in my surroundings. One minute I’m stress free, calm and enjoying life while sipping coffee - the next I’m in deep thought dwelling on the past. Oddly enough, most these thoughts occur when I’m in Europe, and probably have a lot to do with the fact that I’m away from my family and close friends. Being abroad has made me realize what’s most important in life and allows me to give a lot of thought to many different things.

After having 2 very successful pro seasons abroad thus far, I guess the 'what if' that enters my mind most is: what if I played more minutes and had a larger role in college? I’m glad I attended the University of Washington and would do it all again in a heart beat – but after coming into my own these past 2 years on the court and being able to display what type of player I always knew I could be is frustrating. If I had been utilized the right way in college, things might have been different and perhaps I could have been given a shot in the WNBA. That is no longer a goal or dream, but a 'what if' that passes through my mind every now and then.

This is not to take anything away from my career as a Husky. It was solid, as I was a starter all 4 years while averaging 19 minutes, 8 points and 4 rebounds per game. We went to the NCAA tournament twice and almost always were in contention for a PAC-10 title. I had wonderful teammates and received my degree from a very prestigious institution. I met friends that I’ll have for life and contacts that have helped me in the business world. That’s why the 'what if' game is so dangerous. I’d take nothing back but will always wonder what if…

I truly believe that things happen for a reason and that obstacles and deterrents you go through in life are there to prepare you for the future. UW was wonderful for me and I probably would have never become the player I am today if it wasn’t for what I went through and accomplished in Seattle.

Basketball Update: The first round of playoffs are complete – we soundly defeated Povoa 2-0 and now move on to the semi-finals against Vagos. Vagos is a strong team with two very talented Brazilian forwards. Casey and I have our work cut out for us inside if we want to come out with the W. Though undersized, I think our athleticism and quickness will be a big factor. The first game will be played Sunday at Vagos and it is vital for us to get the first win. If we can do that, things will be a little easier coming home the following week, as we would only need one win to win the series. The roadtrip this weekend will be fun, as we will be traveling with the men. They play right after us. Wish us luck! Go CAB!

-BW

Sidenote: GO CANUCKS GO!

April Aspirations - The Madness Continues...

It’s that time of year again - the time when every basketball player’s hopes and dreams are within reach. For most, March Madness turns into April Sadness – as late playoff pushes and early round exits are inevitable. This third month of every year harbors a wide range of emotions for many athletes. From joy to despair, anger to frustration and nervousness to desperation – everything a passionate ball player has is left on the court. It may sound cliché, but blood, sweat and tears fall like rain thoughout the Northwest during post-season play. Every team is in search of one thing and one thing only - being crowned National Champion.

After experiencing the highs of college basketball and twice playing in the NCAA tournament, post-season in Europe just doesn’t have the same feel. Sure it’s exciting and the goal remains the same – but the hype, atmosphere and environment pales in comparison. I’m sure this can’t be said for everywhere in Europe – but in my 2 seasons of play abroad, I often find myself thinking about what once was and the emotions college players are feeling this time of year. I miss it.

On the other side of the ocean in a completely different basketball world, my team has entered it’s own playoffs. Finishing 2nd in the Portuguese league has us with a favorable post-season draw. First round we’re playing the 7th place team, a team we beat handily twice this year. However, as every seasoned basketball player knows, that means nothing in post-season. Post-season is a new season, with every team starting at zero and underdogs being fan favorites. The biggest mistake a higher seeded team can make is to underestimate the little guy. Anything can happen with a fresh start and emotions running high. That’s what makes sport so wonderful.

The playoff format for the Liga Feminina is a best of 3 series until the final, which is a best of 5. As I touched upon earlier, our first round match up is Povoa. Last weekend we defeated them 94-63 in Porto. But it wasn’t without a fight. Though the score looks like it was blowout, it was one of those games that was a battle from start to finish. We started out flat - lacking energy, emotion and passion. Going into halftime we were only up 2. I don’t like blaming performance on outside factors, but the fact that we were up at 4:30am to travel and to play at 6:30pm on the very same day had a lot to do with our heavy legs and blank stares in the first 20 minutes. I still can’t wrap my head around how clubs expect you to perform to the best of your ability on lack of sleep, extended travel and spending 6 hours killing time in a mall or hotel lobby. We were never given the chance to rest or take a nap. Can we get a hotel room please? It was madness! Nevertheless, we were able to get the job done and head home with a ‘W.’

Playing on the road can be tough, but is always made easier when you spot a familiar face or hear a recognizable voice cheering for you in the crowd. Amidst the boos, shouts and whistles (which is a boo here in Europe) I was able to distinguish two familiar voices. Two of our American friends from FC Porto made the 30-minute drive to Povoa to come out and support Casey and I on the hardwood. It was great to see them in the crowd and helped provide that much-needed boost. Catching up with the guys after the game was fun and sadly our visiting time was cut too short. Thanks for the love Marcus and Marcio!

Winning on the road means we need one more next weekend (at home) to capture the series. If we lose, we play the very next day on our home court. It’s a strange playoff format that sees the higher seed playing the first game on the road and the next two (if necessary) at home. I almost feel as though it’s a disadvantage for having a successful season. For example, if everything goes according to plan and we make the finals, as does Olivais (the 1st place team and our rivals), we would play 2 games on our home court before going away to their gym for the next 3. So, if we win the first two at home, we only have to win 1 on the road! This definitely plays to our benefit, so hopefully it works out that way.

Oddly, this weekend was a free weekend for us, as there was a National basketball festival on the mainland for high schoolers. Since most of the league refs were officiating the tournament Saturday and Sunday, both the women’s and men’s leagues were put on hold. It was strange to have a break between playoff games, but nice to be able to rest my body and nagging Achilles. Hopefully these couple of days gave them the break they needed. Casey and I spent most of the weekend hanging out with the guys and enjoying the weather. Friday morning the two of us went to the Deserted Islands on a Navy ship with some Navy guys we know. It was fun despite the long day and chilly weather. Next weeks post will be all about it.

Até Logo,

-BW