"Every Circumstance Perceived Correctly Becomes an Opportunity"

Six weeks ago was supposed to be the beginning of the Whitney Hand era. She was supposed to lead the Sooners in continued glory after the departure of the legendary Paris sisters.

She had the skills.

She was adored by fans.

The sophomore was already co-captain and the new face of Oklahoma women's basketball. Her picture adorned Oklahoma basketball advertisements and in the Sooners media guide she imitated the Man of Steel and was proclaimed “Super Sophomore.”

This was supposed to be her year.

But Hand's high-flying season crashed and burned after just 5 games. The day after Thanksgiving, while playing against San Diego State in the Virgin Island, Hand went down with a knee injury. An MRI several days later confirmed the worst: an ACL tear. It was over. Her season was finished.

Hand will wait until after finals to undergo surgery this weekend. Hopefully the NCAA will have the decency to give Hand a medical red shirt and so preserve her three years of eligibility. Most likely they will, so Whitney can have another crack at “Super Sophomore”.

Right now she takes her place beside Coach Sherri Coale-on the bench and in street clothes. And though its hard to stand on the sidelines while her teammates play, (she says it will "just suck all year") she does her best to help them along. During timeouts she wanders from teammate to teammate, giving each a pat on the back and a word of encouragement. She warms up with the team and still drains three after three, even with her injury.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Sooners have picked up the pieces and are moving on with their season. Hand's injury has left only nine players on the OU roster. But each of them has stepped up to fill the void left by Hand. Teammate Carlee Roethlisberger said, “No one can replace Whitney. Every one of us has to step out on the floor and do what we can to do our best to fill her spot."

Roethlisberger has stepped up tremendously. The junior was mostly known as a role player, as well as being related to you-know-who. Watching Roethlisberger during her first two years at OU, I always new "it" was there, but she never quite broke out. Carlee's teammates have often bragged about how she lit it up in practice, but that never transferred to a game. But since starting OU's 6th game, Roethlisberger has averaged 12 points per contest, which matches her previous career high. In a 100-67 blowout of UT-Arlington, she reset her career high to 29. Her play even prompted Hand to say "We're not going to miss me that much."

Roethlisberger isn't the only Sooner who has stepped up her game. Senior Nyeshia Stevenson, who was merely a spare part and a warm body her first two seasons, has built on receiving last year's Big 12's co-sixth man of the year award. This season, Stevenson has been averaging 13.8 points, including a 32 point explosion vs. Marist in which she tied the school record with 9 three pointers. Point guard Danielle Robinson has been the on-court leader for this depleted Sooner squad. She averages 16.1 points and 5.4 assists. She set a career high 26 points in a loss to Notre Dame only to score 31 two games later as she willed OU to an overtime victory vs. Arkansas.

But perhaps the most impressive performer has been junior Lauren Willis. The former walk-on who received a scholarship last year, has earned it this season. She hasn't been putting up stunning numbers, but Willis has done all the little things: setting screens, taking charges, playing stellar defense, while being a reliable three point shooter.

Through her ordeal, Hand has remained positive. The day she found out that her season was through, she wrote on her Twitter page: “Every circumstance perceived correctly becomes an opportunity. God is good all the time.” And despite her devastating injury, Hand hasn't lost her smile. The girlish grin that captured the heart of women's basketball fans last March and made her the darling of Oklahoma is still there.

Hand's optimism must be very encouraging to her Sooner team, because right now they are playing inspired basketball, even though they obviously miss her on the floor. By blowouts, overtime thrillers, and guard dog defense, the Sooners are 4-1 since losing Hand. Their one loss came at the hands of top 5 team Notre Dame only 24 hours after Hand's injury. But through it all, the Sooners have displayed one trait: they never quit. And this intangible cannot be coached.

If OU continues to use Whitney's injury as inspiration and an opportunity but not a handicap, this team has incredible potential.