In perhaps the least surprising news of the preseason, UConn tops the American Athletic Conference coaches poll. Makes sense after a 40-0 mark last season and back-to-back national titles. Also not surprising: junior Breanna Stewart was the unanimous preseason AAC Player of the Year a season after she brought home the 2014 AAC Player of the Year award, was a consensus first-team All-American, the Naismith Award winner, and Associated Press and United States Basketball Writers Player of the Year.
Things are going so well for the Huskies that coach Geno Auriemma said Thursday at media day that there's no reason to be alarmed by Stewart's walking boot.
“It’s probably been like a week, week and a half,” Stewart said, via SNY.com's Carl Adamec. “I’m not sure if it was practice or something just happened or just over time.
“It’s not anything serious. I’m in a boot so it takes the pressure off of walking on that part of the ball of my foot. But I’m still practicing, going about everything. It’s discomforting. I’ll be fine.”
Not only has Stewart practiced, she's expected to play in this weekend's preseason game.
"I’m in the boot because they think it’s smart,” she said. “It’s a precaution thing. And then my left shoe really doesn’t get dirty, I guess.
“It’s hard because the season’s starting so there not much you can do. I can play on it so I’m going to play. And it’s just a thing where you rehab it. You’re off it. You’re not trying to put as much pressure on it. But at the same time you’re going to go out and play in a game.”
