The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
A little over a year ago Autumn Hennes had her ability to play the game she loved stripped away from her due to a season-ending wrist injury.
After months of recovery, she is back and ready to contribute to the women’s basketball team again.
“I’m just trying to pick up right where I left off, or possibly even better to be honest,” Hennes said. “On and off the court my teammates have helped me get back into the flow of things. They were extremely supportive of me when I was out and continue to be now that I am back.”
Hennes has spent very little time getting back to top form as she opened the season with a career-high 22 points against Finlandia. She was 9-10 from the field and 3-4 from three. These kind of performances are ones in which head coach Shirley Egner expects out of Hennes this year.
“I really would love for her to be that dominant player C.me out from the get go and say, ‘if you are going to take away my jump shot, I am going to beat you off the dribble’ and vice versa,” Egner said.
Despite being out for the entire season, Hennes was very involved in the day-to-day operations of the Pointers, on top of her own rehabilitation work.
“She traveled with the team. We had her as a manager. She kept stats on the bench. She was involved in the huddles. She was truly involved in our team last year, and I think she grew tremendously seeing the game from a different aspect and was determined going home and working on her game to come back even better,” Egner said.
Egner’s decision to continue involving Hennes with the team last season was something that Hennes also believes has helped her as a player and states that is one of the qualities that makes Egner so great.
“When I found out I had to have surgery and was going to have to miss the entire season, coach Egner and coach Gilbert were right by my side, and continue to be, keeping me involved and trying to make me the best basketball player and person I can be,” Hennes said.
Hennes missed part of her sophomore season as well and is excited to finally be able to play basketball again.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. I could not have done any of this without my teammates and coaches, and it has given me a newfound respect for the game,” Hennes said.
When asked what some of her goals were this season, Hennes stressed team, not individual, success that included a WIAC Conference Championship and possibly a National Championship.
Hard work and focus have gotten Hennes back to a spot where she will be asked to contribute at a high level for a good UWSP team this year once again. Coach Egner has full faith that one of her star players can fulfill this task with flying colors.
“I think missing time and getting older has made her more mature. She has a lot more confidence, she is working into being a strong leader and she left last summer determined to come back a better basketball player this year and she has,” Egner said.
Charles Klumb
Sports Reporter
cklum166@uwsp.edu
