The Nevada Sagebrush

Juan López

I had never felt more pressure in a sporting event since my last high school football playoff game.

In this present moment, it was Monday afternoon and the local media was at the Nevada women’s basketball team’s practice. We were invited to practice with the team as to see what they do on a day-to-day basis (and how out of shape we were).

Back to the pressure moment. At the end of the practice, Wolf Pack women’s basketball coach Jane Albright said she would give the media members two chances to make a free throw. If both shots were no good, everyone, including the team’s players, would have to run 16 sprints from one baseline back to the other.

Being the man I am, I volunteered to shoot. To my dismay, the first guy missed.

This whole event was the culmination of what was an intense, but fun practice.

We started off by stretching with the team and there were many familiar media faces I saw in the crowd. J.K. Metzker and Paul Nelson from KOLO TV, Don Marchand from ESPN Radio and Jim Krajewski from the Reno Gazette-Journal were just a few of the recognizables who suited up in the gray “Nevada Women’s Basketball” T-shirt we were given.

After getting loose, we ran through some lay-up and post move drills. The girls on the team were very supportive of some of the guys’ feeble efforts. High fives were aplenty and laughs were shared by both sides.

Anyway, we went through some more drills with the girls, such as the three-(wo)man weave, mid-range jump shooting and reverse lay ups.

It was all very fun and interacting with the girls was even better. They cheered me on when I made a fade-away jumper, jeered me when I blew a lay up and chatted with me when we waited in line to do a drill.

My favorite moment of the day was when we got to go one-on-one with the players. The premise of the drill was that the defensive player had to stop the offensive player from going baseline and after the shot went up, the defender had to box out the shooter.

The girl I went up against three times was senior guard Megan Cherry.

First time up, I took the ball, crossed over left between my legs, went behind my back to the right and crossed back over to the middle of the lane (I think). Long story short, I came to a jump stop in the lane and floated a finger roll over her extended arm.

Second go-round, different lead up, same result.

This prompted Cherry to say, “Alright, next time, I got you. I know your moves now.”

To my delight, she played me closer up the next time and I created some space with a jab step. I started left and then crossed back over toward the baseline. I had the step on her, but the reverse lay up I threw up on the opposite side of the hoop rolled off the rim. I had won the battle, but she had won the war.

Good game, Ms. Cherry.

After this came the pressure moment. Albright announced loud and clear that the media would get two free throws. If none were made, running would ensue for everyone.

As I mentioned before, the guy who shot the first free throw clanked it off the back rim.

I heard a groan from the onlookers as their eyes shifted toward me. I was standing on the opposite end of the court from the person who missed.

“Come on, Juan,” I heard a few of the girls whisper.

I stepped up to the line with the ball snug in between my left forearm and my left hip and took a deep breath.

Here we go.

I put my right foot on the nail in the middle of the free throw line, looked up at the rim and started my routine: Dribble one time with my left hand, spin the ball into my right hand, bend low at the knees and shoot.

As the ball rolled off my fingertips, I heard nothing. My mind was solely focused on the rim.

It didn’t take long before the ball reached the proximity of the rim… but it didn’t even hit the rim.

The ball went in, nothing but net.

It was the swoosh heard ‘round the world.

Cheers erupted from the sidelines, “Yeah, Juan!” was all I heard and I got more high fives during the ensuing 38 seconds than I had gotten the whole year.

I was in heaven.

Well, that was my moment in the sun when I hit the game-winning (more like free throw that kept us from running our tails off) shot. In all seriousness, I had a ton of fun at this event and I hope the team puts it on next year.

This one’s for you, Wolf Pack women’s basketball team.

Note: The women’s basketball team has started a blog called “Track the Pack.” Be sure to check out the blog and look at the video of the media’s practice with the team.

Juan López can be reached at jlopez@nevadasagebrush.com.

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