Stanford Athletics announced on Friday that Toni has suffered concussions and will not play her senior season.
This is such a disappointment for Toni, her team and her fans. She has already contributed so much in her three seasons with the team and will be a valuable mentor for the newbie guards, but I regret that I won't see her play again.
I noted in her college debut game that, "She's very fast, physically and mentally, sees the floor extremely well, and gets the ball to her teammates with great precision. She's equally impressive on defense – intense and tenacious."
Tara said, “The story for me today was Toni. We went right away with Toni and Jeanette as our two guards and I think her speed and her quickness really helped us get into doing the things we wanted to do.”
Remember the Pac-10 Title Game that season when Toni brought the Cardinal back from the brink of defeat?
UCLA had held the lead for most of the game as the Cardinal fell further and further behind. A victory began to seem possible halfway through the second half after Jeanette hit two three-pointers and Toni made a fast break layup after stealing the ball. The score was tied with six minutes left to play.
The bench went wild!
She handled the Lady Vols' pressure defense with calm assurance, driving at them, around them and sometimes over them.
I'll miss seeing Toni directing traffic …
Her distinctive style on free throws …
And three-pointers ...
Most of all, I'll remember Toni as someone who marches to her own beat …
5 comments:
One of the things I'll remember is her habit of tugging on her shorts when she was really focused on defending her opponent one on one. Another was when she was bringing the ball up against defensive pressure, she'd start slowly then just accelerate past the defender. Great to watch. Ken
Wow, Marian, this is a great tribute! You've listed an abundance of Toni highlights and Toni characteristics. You got it exactly right.
I was adjusting to her retirement, but after reading this I'll have to start adjusting all over again.
Thanks very much.
It was always fun to watch her intricate footwork on defense, which I gather was inspired by soccer footwork. Will miss her a lot as a player, and hope she can feel fulfilled as a mentor to the younger guards this year.
I loved watching her steals. The other team would have the ball, and then suddenly Toni would have the ball. It wasn't always obvious what had happened in between.
I chatted with Toni after the Baylor win in Hawaii and I must say she was one of the VERY nicest (and funny) players ever!
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