Relatively speaking, women’s NCAA field is a family affair
NEW YORK (AP) Carly Fabbri grew up dreaming of wearing a Quinnipiac uniform and playing for her mom.
She's left her mark for the Bobcats, winning 113 games in her four years at the school where her mother, Tricia, has coached since 1995. While they aren't the first mother/daughter combo in women's basketball, they have been able to build a program into a consistent NCAA Tournament team and that's something they will always share.
''It's been a lot of fun. I've watched her my entire life coach. Just being able to have the opportunity to play for her has been awesome,'' Carly Fabbri said. ''Obviously, we've won a lot and that's been incredible. These past two seasons especially, being able to get to the NCAA Tournament, making that historic run last year.
''Obviously, trying to make some more magic happen this year. She's a really hard worker. It's great to see success and being able to be part of it is really special, so again, just trying to make more magic happen this year, but it's been a really fun ride.''
The Bobcats season ended Monday night when they lost to top-seeded UConn. Coach Fabbri will always cherish the past four years.
''It's so special and it's so special to do this with her because of where the program is and how much it means to her,'' she said. ''She's been just as invested as the head coach. That's pretty special to say.''
This year's women's tournament had a lot of familial bonds. Besides the Fabbris and of course the father-daughter pair of Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer and Blair, there were 11 pairs of sisters in the tournament when it started. That has been whittled down over the opening weekend.
University at Buffalo twins Katherine and Liisa Ups came to the upstate school from Australia. Having each other to lean on nearly 10,000 miles from home has made it a lot easier for the seniors. They helped the school reach its first Sweet 16 on Monday night, shocking third-seed Florida State.
They admit they didn't know what they were getting into coming to Buffalo. An assistant coach told them that it wasn't cold in the city.
''She was originally from Las Vegas and hadn't actually spent a winter in Buffalo when she recruited us,'' Liisa Ups remembered, laughing. ''It was her first summer there.''
Katherine Ups quickly chimed in, ''She lied.''
The identical twins said they haven't pulled many tricks on their teammates or coaches, but laugh that some of them still can't tell them apart.
''I think some days coach Jack is trying to figure it out,'' Katherine Ups said.
Liisa said that most people got it pretty quickly which sister was which although her roommate still calls her ''twin'' sometimes.
Missouri sisters Bri and Cierra Porter are two of eight siblings in their family. Two of their brothers play on the Missouri men's team that also lost in the NCAA Tournament.
Going anywhere but Missouri was never really up for debate when they were younger.
''The head coach is our aunt. She talked about us playing for her since we were really little,'' Bri Porter said. ''Then when I was a freshman in high school and my sister was an eighth-grader we just gave her a verbal commitment. So it's honestly been like forever that we've been planning on it.''
Bri Porter has been sidelined since injuring a knee ligament in 2016. Having her sister around has made it a little easier.
''That's really helped me stay emotionally engaged just because some part of me does feel like it's on the court when she is because my heart is so close to hers so when she succeeds I feel like I succeed,'' she said. ''So that's been helpful to me for sure. It's not easy to just sit on the sides all the time.''
----
AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley, Pat Eaton-Robb and Joe Reedy contributed to this story.
