Alexis Peterson still feels like an underdog. There was no sense of anger or vengeance in her voice, though. Peterson sounded calm when talking about how she’s grown as a player and as a leader this year, ready to accept the challenge of guiding a relatively young team after the departure of many role players.

Brittney Sykes insists she’s ripe for stardom. Her summer was ordinary enough: she assisted on the new director of athletics search committee, hoisted 500 3-pointers a night and pondered her year ahead.

That’s about as normal as her last three summers have been. Two she spent recovering from ACL injuries, which had cut down her career and lengthened her path to a pro career.

The unknown doesn’t faze Andrew White, but he likes sticking to what he knows. That means whipping up a plate of white rice and tilapia when he can, trying mightily to avoid the perils of fruits and vegetables. When he returns home to Richmond, Virginia, that means he’s not long to endear himself again to his five pet turtles.

All of a sudden, John Gillon faded in and out of consciousness. His right arm had been swelling over the past couple days and doubled its normal size as he sat in his sixth grade classroom.

Gillon couldn’t bend his right arm because a cyst formed between his elbow and shoulder. If anyone touched his arm, Gillon said it felt like he was being stabbed.