SEATTLE — Heidi McNeill and Michelle Augustavo know by now that their final season at Washington won’t play out like they imagined when they became Huskies.
The Huskies’ two seniors grew up watching Washington basketball, and both hoped to go out with a bang. Instead their final season is marked by dubious distinctions such as school-record losing streaks and a Pac-10 record for margin of defeat.
But as McNeill and Augustavo prepare for their final two home games this week, they have no regrets.
“This year hasn’t been what we expected, but I would never trade it for anything,” said McNeill, an Oak Harbor graduate. “I love my teammates, I love my coaches and I wouldn’t trade this for anything … It’s been really rough on me and Michelle these last few games, but we’ve just got to stick together as a team and have fun out there.”
McNeill came to Washington with hopes of conference titles and NCAA tournaments, but instead has watched the program go through a coaching change and its worst season in history. But she says if she had it to do over again, she’d still wear the purple and gold.
Augustavo, a graduate of Seattle’s Bishop Blanchet High School, transferred to Washington from the University of San Diego. Like McNeill, Augustavo says she has no regrets. McNeill and Augustavo also admit they’re ready to move on after this season however.
“It’s going to be bittersweet for sure,” said Augustavo. “I’m kind of ready to move onto something else in my life, but at the same time, it’s what I love to do and I love my team and I love my coaches. It’s going to be hard.”
Augustavo hopes moving on will mean a coaching job. The daughter of a longtime high school coach, Augustavo hopes to coach at the college level. McNeill hopes to eventually go back to school and get into physical therapy, but wants to first pursue opportunities to play overseas.
While both Augustavo and McNeill come off the bench for the Huskies, UW coach Tia Jackson says the senior duo will be greatly missed.
“Although those two are not starters for us, they still have a great deal of leadership that they show in practice and from the sidelines and in the games when they’re out there playing,” Jackson said. “They’re going to be missed, they’re going to be irreplaceable.”
What has been a forgettable season would improve significantly if the Huskies can end their current 12-game losing streak. The Huskies sent their seniors off in style last year with a win over ninth-ranked Cal on senior day, and they’d love to do the same either today or on Sunday.
“That’s definitely our mindset for these games, give it our all and get a win for them,” said sophomore guard Sarah Morton.
Morton gets a bit emotional when talking about the soon-to-be-departed seniors. She not only learned a lot from Augustavo, a fellow guard that Jackson calls the “Team mother” but also from McNeill, who shares her small-town roots.
“Definitely she made the transition a lot easier because she came from kind of where I came from — the Boonies — so we had that in common,” said Morton, who is from Monroe. “She’s just a great person and helped me adjust to life here.”
Don’t forget your pink: The Huskies are asking fans to help them “Paint the Bank pink” this weekend. The Huskies will be wearing pink this week as part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “Pink Zone” initiative, which is an effort to raise breast cancer awareness.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com/huskiesblog
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