Fresno State Athletics
3/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
A Women's Basketball Diary
The following entry comes from junior guard Chantella Perera. For a complete list of this year's entries, check out the side bar on the right side of the page.
 Junior guard Chantella Perera
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Mar. 24, 2006
"It's not goodbye, it's see you later."
What a season!!! I cannot even begin to explain to you the extent of the success and fun we have had this year. When the final siren went off against Kansas State, it was heartbreaking because it marked the end of our historic season. However, we gave Kansas State our very best and unfortunately it didn't quite work out in that game, but it did work out for most of this season and no loss or drama can take away those memories and highlights. This season has been an unforgettable one and I hope you can all see what this group did to make it this far.
It all began in the spring of 2005. The remaining players from the last year's team took on a tough spring postseason schedule. From early morning weights to long voluntary pick-up sessions, we did not miss a second to try and make ourselves better. That hard-working attitude followed through the summer where we all grouped together and continued to workout by ourselves until we went home. We ran every week with the football players to challenge ourselves physically and we stayed in summer school to help our academics. We were determined to make this season better than the last.
Along came the fall of 2005- the beginning of a new adventure. With only a slightly new team, we all bonded together quickly and formed one common goal. We wanted to be the best team ever to play at Fresno State. With that in mind, we went through torturous conditioning sessions among other things for eight long weeks. We knew eventually our hard work would pay off and we finished preseason a stronger team both physically and mentally.
The 2005-06 season began before we could even blink our eyes. Without much time passing we were out on the court playing UC Irvine in our season opener. From that day to right now we made sure we kept growing as a team. Each player on this team knew they had a role and each of us took it upon ourselves to make sure we did whatever it was to our very, very best.
The season had so many highs and also some lows. But in my opinion and I think the rest of my team would agree, we can't really remember the wins and losses. Rather we remember the moments. The moments that made us laugh, cry or just took us by surprise. I remember...
- walking into the Save Mart Center locker-room before every game to find Ren and Dre dancing and sweating in front of the mirror.
- sitting in the pouring rain, huddled together at a football game to cheer on our boys.
- finishing a weights session and singing a song full blast after breaking it out.
- play fights between classes for bragging rights.
- Ren and T, who have the ability to "surprise" us at multiple inopportune moments, whether it be around the team or in public places like airports.
- Amy tripping over the back of T's shoe and landing face down on the ground while chasing a loose ball down the court!
- trying to check into our hotel in Denver, only to find we were at the wrong hotel! (We thought we were big-time trying to check into the Renaissance instead of the Radisson.)
- There are so many moments that I wish you all could have been part of. This team has an unbelievable characteristic and it's not one that you find in many teams - unity. The relationships we have with one another make us an incredible team. Whenever someone is down, we come together to pick each other up. If you are happy, we will all share your joy with you. I can truly say that this team- from our head coach Adrian Wiggins to every player- is one amazing unit. We have been through almost every adversity you can possibly imagine and yet here we stand - stronger than ever.
Our coaches and support staff have led us incredibly. They have helped us both individually and as a whole become better players and more importantly better people. They have worked so hard to make us who we are, and we are very grateful for that.
For our five wonderful seniors - Amy, A-Lo, Faith, Toni and Ren, words cannot describe what you have given to us and the emotions we feel for you. From day one you have led us with each of your own unique and special personalities and talents. Whenever we looked you were always there to guide us. You never let us miss a beat and you always gave us all the right advice. You will always be a part of this program but we are going to miss you all so much as you go your separate ways. You are all irreplaceable but I hope that we can carry on the great tradition that you have started here.
Through all the controversy and drama we want everyone to know that we all deeply appreciate all of your support and love for us. From our Hoop Club, the ball kids, the die-hard fans, the Fresno State Band, Timeout, boosters and even the dedicated fan waiting for us at the airport with a "WE LOVE YOU DOGS" sign - we could not have done it without you. You are all part of our team and you are a huge factor in our success. A game is just not a game without the entire team!
So for this season, we wave goodbye, but it's really see you later, because this program is far from done. This is just the beginning of the greatest era in Fresno State women's basketball. You have just got a small taste of what is to come here in the very near future. Thank you for allowing us to have the time of our lives and until next season you can always remember us as....
THE GREATEST TEAM TO HAVE EVER PLAYED AT FRESNO STATE!!!
Go `Dogs!
-Tella #11
