Amber Harris

[joeabe]

Will she return to play this season? What is the nature of her injury? I would think we would be very difficult to beat with her in the lineup...teams would not be able to double Phillips underneath...

[hogster]

The announcer on Sundays broadcast of the Charlotte game said that Amber had no plans to redshirt this year. She plans to be back sometime in February.

[muskienick]

If Amber can play at top form before the end of this season, she should probably rejoin the team. I do, however, have some fears along those lines.

1) The team seems to be developing a remarkable chemistry even without Amber on the floor. How would Amber's return affect it?
2) Is it worth spending an entire year of Amber's eligibility on what is likely to amount to just a little more than the post-season?
3) This team has many new and young players on this year's roster. How good could this team be over the next two years if it had a blockbuster high/low post combination of T. Phillips and Amber Harris and a well-seasoned group of perimeter players to compliment them? (I'd say --- scary good!)

In conclusion, this team has proven that it can compete now with some of the bigger programs in the nation with its roster depleted of one of its legitimate All-American candidates. Why blow a year of her eligibility on a few weeks of play and why risk a disruption in team chemistry by her abrupt insertion into the rotation? Why not let her heal completely, build the strength back into her leg, and let the team adjust to her greatness and to her assimilation into the active lineup at the start of the 2009-2010 season?

[Fan for fun]

What's Amber's status? Will she play the final 2 weeks of the season? Is it worth it? How would her return to the line up disrupt team chemistry?
A Phillips has really stepped up and deserves to keep her spot in the starting line up.

[somebody]

Fan for fun ... did you read the other messages in this thread? I thought all your questions were answered there? What is missing?

I too heard the discussion on the telecast and saw that she was suited up for the first time this season. The announcers also mentioned the team "chemistry" question and wondered about that as we all do.

So here is my take. It sounds pretty certain that even if she redshirts this year she will only play another year and not take the final year of eligibility. It would be nice if she did, but apparently that is not her plan. So if it makes sense otherwise for her to play now, she should. As to the "chemistry" question, I think that would be up to McGuff to figure out; that is what he is paid for. What might be viable would be, if she can go, to only use her if and when they needed to. Definitely not start. Maybe bring her in for short spot stints to see how she does and how the team reacts. And save her for situations where maybe April gets into foul trouble or is otherwise struggling.

[passthepuck?]

In uniform yesterday, pretty in pink. Did not play.

[Fan for fun]

Amber is practicing with the team, look for her on the floor vs Temple tomorrow