There is nothing better than being best friends with your teammates
“We’re super connected,” said junior AJ Marotte. “They’re my best friends and you know I get to see them every day for hours and we get to play a game that we love so even in these tough games, it’s easy to get back in the gym and work and be motivated like this because we’re so close and are ready to play again.”
Oregon State University’s women’s basketball team has shown up for each other day in and day out, game after game. Whether it is recovering from two hard weekend losses to nationally ranked teams, or support for Reagan Beers after she missed four consecutive free throws, the team continues to rally.
“Just having my teammates there to encourage me and get me through that was really how I made those,” said Beers, reflecting after the Jan. 12 matchup against the University of Arizona.
To this team, being connected and building trust is the most important thing, and it shows on the court as they continue to produce big numbers. As the adage goes, good teams find a way to win.
Against the Arizona Wildcats, scoring leaders Beers and Talia Von Oelhoffen contributed to the overtime win that Friday night.
“Raegan might be mad she missed a layup, and I might be mad I missed a layup too, but we see that in each other and lift each other up a lot and it helps to know these people have my back and I have theirs,” said Marotte.
The word trust to this team is about trusting each player’s ability to be efficient and productive on the court, and they all are. Beers has been breaking and tying records while Marotte has shown development and growth in her previous years. Von Oelhoffen has been bringing forth points in massive offensive plays for the Beavers.
“I think we’re just so connected on both sides of the floor and we trust each other so much in every way and so I mean this is the most connected I’ve ever felt to a team … We’re connected and we trust each other when that time comes and so I think if we maintain that and we have all the talent – we’re ready for it,” said Von Oelhoffen.
Being best friends with your teammates is special; each of these players is proof that this Beavers team has excelled in defensive and offensive performance. Their 12-0 start to the season proves that comfort and motivation go hand-in-hand with success.
As the competitions get tougher in the last-ever PAC-12 season, this Beavers team has confidence and hope, as Von Oelhoffen has said: “I feel like that’s something that’s just unwavering with this group and we know that we’re going to hit adversity but we’re connected.”