MINNEAPOLIS — Prior to tipoff of every game that her family attends, UConn redshirt senior forward Evina Westbrook tries to spot her mother, Eva. Westbrook doesn’t get worried, per se, if she doesn’t initially find her, but she looks for in the stands and they’ve developed a routine over the years. Even at the Final Four, there’s no reason to break it. “We make eye contact and then she finishes warming up,” Eva says.
New this year, however, is what Westbrook does after pregame festivities conclude. In her debut campaign with UConn last season, Westbrook started all 30 games; in 2021–22 she’s started only 15, and just twice since Jan. 23. Now playing the role of a key reserve, Eva says her daughter has handled the adjustment with “maturity.”
“That’s how you have to,” she adds. “Evina came to UConn not because she thought anything was going to be given to her easy. She came here to be coached by the best coach and to play with the best players.”
