When injuries hit a sports team, the common expression to rally the troops is: Next man up.
Sometimes that man is a woman.
The University of Texas women’s basketball team was counting on 6-7 junior center Imani McGee-Stafford for her shot-blocking, her rebounding, her overall sizeable presence. But she suffered a leg injury and has missed more than half of the games so far. Her incapacity left the Longhorns looking to the next man up.
Which is Nneka Enemkpali.
Texas extended its season-opening winning streak to 13 on Wednesday night, defeating reigning Big 12 champion West Virginia 61-55. Enemkpali, who is 6-1, was the only Longhorns player to score in double figures. She had 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. With WVU closing in, she closed them out by scoring the last four points of the game.
How next, uh, person up is she? She’s had seven consecutive double-doubles and the Longhorns are ranked No. 3 in the country.
Texas has a lot of next, uh, people up. In beating West Virginia, the Longhorns got first-half points from eight players and played 10, nine of them for at least 10 minutes (including Stafford-McGee). No one played more than 30 minutes.
Ah, Texas. Where men are men, and women are the next man up.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .
Revealing The New Face Of Calvin Klein
-
Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jr, who plays for Real Madrid, broke down in tears during a news conference on Monday,...
-
Famous British Olympian Retires After an illustrious career adorned with numerous accolades, Dame Laura Kenny, Britain’s most successful female...
-
Manchester City Brings it Home with a 3-1 Victory! Following Manchester City’s impressive 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in...
-
Murray’s New Goals Before Retirement Andy Murray, the renowned British tennis player and three-time Grand Slam champion, has shared...
-
Kylian Mbappe led Paris Saint-Germain to a resounding 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their...
-
Klopp acknowledges defensive flaws as Liverpool suffers unexpected defeat against Arsenal. Following Liverpool’s unexpected defeat against Arsenal, manager Jurgen...
-
Ryan Mendes’ Heroic Penalty: Captain Leads Cape Verde to Victory In a historic moment for Cape Verde, the national...
-
Probe Raises Questions About PSG’s 2017 Deal and Political Involvement. French authorities have launched an investigation into allegations...
-
As Ireland faces a back-three injury crisis ahead of the Six Nations, some players have an opportunity to step...
-
16-year-old Luke Littler Makes History as the Youngest Player to Join the Prestigious Premier League Darts Luke Littler, the...
-
Get ready for the electric thrill! In a groundbreaking move, Formula E announces its exclusive broadcasting partnership with TNT...
-
Captain Kohli’s Record-Equalling Century Lights Up World Cup Match Against South Africa. On the occasion of his 35th birthday,...