Hey Wildcat fans!
As I am writing this, I am sitting here by the ocean listening to the waves finally being able to relax after a long three day span of games.
We went 3-0 this week in the Virgin Islands with some close games but we were able to pull off the win. It was nice to get away from Tucson for a little and have a change of scenery. We arrived in the Islands on Tuesday and we will be leaving on Sunday.
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When we first arrived after a long travel day, we just rested and caught up on our missed sleep. The following day we had a practice in the morning. The drive over was beautiful. We got to travel in an open bus and listen to island music. We drove by the ocean and saw the local stores including a fruit shop. On the way back from practice, we stopped at the store and picked up some fruit. The fruit here was on another level. It tasted like no other fruit we’ve had before.
Once we got back to the hotel, we hung out by the beach and rented kayaks and paddle boards. We didn’t stay out in the sun too long because we had to be rested for the games.
Thank you @paradisejam for a fabulous tournament. We enjoyed a little taste of paradise, now back home to AZ! #MadeForIt pic.twitter.com/erezvWNjjl
— Arizona Women's Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) November 28, 2021
On Thanksgiving, we played DePaul and after the game we had a Thanksgiving meal. I was lucky my parents were able to make the trip out here to the islands. It felt a little more like Thanksgiving to have them with me. They both were here in the Islands and left my brother at home alone. My sisters were nice enough to take him in and have their own version of a sibling Thanksgiving. They sent a picture and it looked like he was doing just fine.
Our final day is coming and although we are leaving, we get to go on a nice boat ride before we leave. I am super excited to get to actually relax and enjoy the islands without the stress of knowing we have a game. I will be soaking up every moment before we have to rush back to the hotel and pack up to head back to Tucson.
Although I will miss the Islands and our awesome bus driver — shout out to Rocky! — I am happy to get back and see my dog and sleep in my own bed although the hotel beds were very comfy.
Sam Thomas is a senior leader with Adia Barnes’ program returning for her fifth season in 2021-22 as granted by the NCAA because of last season impacted by COVID-19 protocol. She has agreed to write a weekly column at AllSportsTucson.com. Her honors at Arizona include:
2021 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2021 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American
Elite 90 Award Winner
2021 All-Pac-12
2020 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention
2020 & 2021 Pac-12 All-Defense
2020 & 2021 Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll
2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team
2019 Pac-12 All-Academic First Team
2018 Pac-12 All-Freshman
2018 Arizona Athletics Female Freshman of the Year
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