Catching up with Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Kalana Greene on Wednesday after the Washington Mystics practiced in Uncasville made for a nice hour. They all look good, feel good and are excited about Thursday’s game at the casino against the Connecticut Sun.
“Just walking through airport [Bradley International] it felt nice to be back,” Dolson said. “Seeing all the fans again is going to be fun.”
Hartley agreed.
“I was saying to Stefanie that this feels like home,” Hartley said. “Maybe not being at Mohegan, although we did play here last year [the American Athletic Conference tournament]. But just Connecticut, in general. We hope the Connecticut fans we have here will show us a little bit of love [Thursday].”
Dolson and Hartley said most of their former UConn teammates and coaches are planning to attend the game. And they both were hoping to spend some time on campus with those now on campus taking classes and playing pick-up games at some point Wednesday, if transportation could be arranged.
If you haven’t heard, the White House announced Wednesday that it will host both of UConn’s national championship men’s and women’s basketball teams on June 9. Both Dolson and Hartley will be able to attend, not surprising since the White House is just a 10-block walk from where they work and Mike Thibault promised he will hold practice early that morning so they can get to the afternoon reception.
“Yeah, we can just take a cab over there after,” Hartley said.
Dolson, who is in the process of dying her hair purple (yes, that is correct) said Wednesday that she has no big surprises planned for her time with President Obama. That means no dance off or playful hand gestures like the bunny ear photo bomb that was the highlight of last year’s visit
“I’m just planning to see what happens,” Dolson said smiling. “I’m not going to force another. The last thing I want to do is come across as being obnoxious. I don’t want to do anything outrageous with President Obama around like last year. We’ll see what happens, she what he remembers [from last year] and go from there.”
