Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 72
Final Score
Women's Basketball
58
at Eastern Kentucky
72
The University of Utah Athletics
Summer Workouts Building The Foundation For Utah Women's Basketball
7/20/2017 4:08 PM | Women's Basketball
Utah women's basketball fans saw success last season. They saw career-best performances, they saw the wins, they saw the pay-off. Fans saw Utah make its 29th postseason appearance in school history in 2017. They saw two Utes join the 1,000-point club and saw their starting center earn Pac-12 honors for the second consecutive season.
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Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "It's not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." The wins will come when the 2017-18 season starts, but the preparation starts this summer.
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With the recent changes in NCAA rules regarding summer practices, teams can now practice two hours a week with the coaching staff present, giving the team extra time to train and bond before the season, something head coach Lynne Roberts says is an integral change.
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"It is helpful to spend time with our new players and get to know them on the court and allow them to get a feel and start learning your systems," Roberts said. "It is also nice to get time with your returners and just stay connected from a coaching standpoint. All of this adds up to putting less pressure on trying to do too much once school starts in the fall."
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With six true freshmen on the current roster, this summer will be key in developing a well-rounded team. The Utes return four seniors to the court this season as well, giving the team a balance of experience during summer workouts.
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"Everyone needs an adjustment period to get accustomed to the speed and workload of college basketball," senior Emily Potter said. "Having the summer session is great for freshmen to meet the team and do team building activities and ease them into college basketball."
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While the work on the court helps with team building, it is the work in the weight room that pushes those results forward. With new strength and conditioning coach Emma Ostermann at the helm, the Utes have been hard at work this summer preparing for not only their Italian tour in August, but also the 2017-18 season.
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This summer, Ostermann has worked with the Utes anywhere from three to four times a week. According to Ostermann, the summer is where the mood for a season can be set because of the groundwork being put in.
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"If an athlete skips out on summer training, they miss out on the foundation that the rest of the year is built on," Ostermann said. "It is like a house, if we don't have a sturdy foundation, then the house collapses."
Â
"It is the same with training. If we don't build the foundation, then we only increase our risk of injury and collapsing, or not accomplishing what we want to during the season. Everything is tied together and builds off one another."
Â
In off-season training, the Utes look to get strong and more powerful, while also focusing on individual training goals. In-season, Ostermann said coaches like to refer to the workouts as "maintaining" what was accomplished during the off-season with Ostermann and the staff making sure nutrition and recovery protocols are dialed in to help with the loads the student-athletes see from practice, games and travel.
Â
In the sports world, the phrase "mentally tough" is used frequently to describe an athlete that has well-rounded focus and strength, but Ostermann prefers to use the term "mentally tight" first to develop a strong work ethic and willingness to compete no matter the odds. It is that philosophy that is propelling the Utes this summer to becoming successful this winter.
Â
While the average college student is taking time off this summer, the Utah women's basketball program is hitting the gym and preparing for another top-tier schedule ahead of them. To become "mentally tight" this summer, the Utes are working as a team for one common goal.
Â
"I am sure that most people aren't aware of the sacrifices a Pac-12 student-athlete makes during the summer," Roberts said. "They give up their chance to go home and relax, the chance at a summer job to earn extra money. They miss the normal 'summer break' that the average college student has."
Â
"They are on campus, taking classes and working out every day. It is those types of sacrifices that separates the good from the great and this team wants to be great."
Â
Although the workouts can be grueling, Potter looks forward to summer conditioning because of the time she gets to spend with the team and her Utah family. Whether it is running sprints, working on a jump shot with a teammate, or spending time away from campus with friends, the sacrifice is worth it in the end for this group of Utah ballers.
Â
"It is all about pushing yourself in the off-season so that you shine in-season," Potter said. "When you are tired and think you have nothing left, but your teammates are counting on you to finish or reach that goal, it really motivates you to do it for them. We are a team and when we go out on the court as a team, we are one unit working together."
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Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "It's not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." The wins will come when the 2017-18 season starts, but the preparation starts this summer.
Â
With the recent changes in NCAA rules regarding summer practices, teams can now practice two hours a week with the coaching staff present, giving the team extra time to train and bond before the season, something head coach Lynne Roberts says is an integral change.
Â
"It is helpful to spend time with our new players and get to know them on the court and allow them to get a feel and start learning your systems," Roberts said. "It is also nice to get time with your returners and just stay connected from a coaching standpoint. All of this adds up to putting less pressure on trying to do too much once school starts in the fall."
Â
With six true freshmen on the current roster, this summer will be key in developing a well-rounded team. The Utes return four seniors to the court this season as well, giving the team a balance of experience during summer workouts.
Â
"Everyone needs an adjustment period to get accustomed to the speed and workload of college basketball," senior Emily Potter said. "Having the summer session is great for freshmen to meet the team and do team building activities and ease them into college basketball."
Â
While the work on the court helps with team building, it is the work in the weight room that pushes those results forward. With new strength and conditioning coach Emma Ostermann at the helm, the Utes have been hard at work this summer preparing for not only their Italian tour in August, but also the 2017-18 season.
Â
This summer, Ostermann has worked with the Utes anywhere from three to four times a week. According to Ostermann, the summer is where the mood for a season can be set because of the groundwork being put in.
Â
"If an athlete skips out on summer training, they miss out on the foundation that the rest of the year is built on," Ostermann said. "It is like a house, if we don't have a sturdy foundation, then the house collapses."
Â
"It is the same with training. If we don't build the foundation, then we only increase our risk of injury and collapsing, or not accomplishing what we want to during the season. Everything is tied together and builds off one another."
Â
In off-season training, the Utes look to get strong and more powerful, while also focusing on individual training goals. In-season, Ostermann said coaches like to refer to the workouts as "maintaining" what was accomplished during the off-season with Ostermann and the staff making sure nutrition and recovery protocols are dialed in to help with the loads the student-athletes see from practice, games and travel.
Â
In the sports world, the phrase "mentally tough" is used frequently to describe an athlete that has well-rounded focus and strength, but Ostermann prefers to use the term "mentally tight" first to develop a strong work ethic and willingness to compete no matter the odds. It is that philosophy that is propelling the Utes this summer to becoming successful this winter.
Â
While the average college student is taking time off this summer, the Utah women's basketball program is hitting the gym and preparing for another top-tier schedule ahead of them. To become "mentally tight" this summer, the Utes are working as a team for one common goal.
Â
"I am sure that most people aren't aware of the sacrifices a Pac-12 student-athlete makes during the summer," Roberts said. "They give up their chance to go home and relax, the chance at a summer job to earn extra money. They miss the normal 'summer break' that the average college student has."
Â
"They are on campus, taking classes and working out every day. It is those types of sacrifices that separates the good from the great and this team wants to be great."
Â
Although the workouts can be grueling, Potter looks forward to summer conditioning because of the time she gets to spend with the team and her Utah family. Whether it is running sprints, working on a jump shot with a teammate, or spending time away from campus with friends, the sacrifice is worth it in the end for this group of Utah ballers.
Â
"It is all about pushing yourself in the off-season so that you shine in-season," Potter said. "When you are tired and think you have nothing left, but your teammates are counting on you to finish or reach that goal, it really motivates you to do it for them. We are a team and when we go out on the court as a team, we are one unit working together."
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Players Mentioned
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