Stephanie Soares' journey to Iowa State

[Connor_Ferguson]

I talked to Stephanie's old coach, as well as her and Bill Fennelly, about what came before Iowa State:

As unique as it gets: Stephanie Soares' road to Iowa State

She played for the Brazilian women's basketball national team as an 18-year-old and chose to play at The Master's University despite being a five-star prospect. She won NAIA Player of the Year, tore both her ACL and MCL, and then won the award a second time. Meet the newest addition to the Iow

cyclonefanatic.com

 

[StClone]

Good stuff however I have read little on how her surgery went: is she fully recovered, or a little hesitant pushing her left knee? Hoping for the best and so excited by Soares in our system I can hardly wait for October.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

She sounds like an outstanding pick-up for us. This promises to be a fun year.

 

[StClone]

Can you detect an accent? I can't-don't know if this link will connect:

 

[mred]

Good stuff however I have read little on how her surgery went: is she fully recovered, or a little hesitant pushing her left knee? Hoping for the best and so excited by Soares in our system I can hardly wait for October.

Since the injury was over a year and a half ago and she's won NAIA POY since then, I'm assuming she was very close to 100% last season and should be at 100% this upcoming season. That's probably why there's not much to be read about her knee -- the results kind of speak for themselves.

 

[mred]

I talked to Stephanie's old coach, as well as her and Bill Fennelly, about what came before Iowa State:

"'We’ll try,' Fennelly said on a second year of eligibility for Soares at Iowa State. 'We are planning on it being a one-year deal based on everything we’ve heard.'"

Just to get ahead of anyone who might complain the NCAA is screwing us when they inevitably rule that Soares only has one season of eligibility left (if ISU bothers to appeal), there really is no basis for her to have two seasons. She played three seasons of basketball. None of those three seasons was the 2020-21 season. Therefore she has one season remaining. This is not nearly as complicated as the Nezerwa situation.

 

[StClone]

That's

Since the injury was over a year and a half ago and she's won NAIA POY since then, I'm assuming she was very close to 100% last season and should be at 100% this upcoming season

That is what I assume also. But moving from NAIA to D-1 I am wanting some confirmation that such is the case (as apparently it is as she seems to be doing well otherwise).

In my mind, we got a 5-Star recruit maybe as other teams were not as sold on her rehab. Just a dumb nagging thought, I guess.

 

[Aclone]

"'We’ll try,' Fennelly said on a second year of eligibility for Soares at Iowa State. 'We are planning on it being a one-year deal based on everything we’ve heard.'"

Just to get ahead of anyone who might complain the NCAA is screwing us when they inevitably rule that Soares only has one season of eligibility left (if ISU bothers to appeal), there really is no basis for her to have two seasons. She played three seasons of basketball. None of those three seasons was the 2020-21 season. Therefore she has one season remaining. This is not nearly as complicated as the Nezerwa situation.

“No basis”? The COVID season doesn’t apply to former NAIA players?

Honest question.

My read was that Fennelly was saying “just one season” because she wants to go pro after one P5 year.

 

[mred]

“No basis”? The COVID season doesn’t apply to former NAIA players?

Honest question.

My read was that Fennelly was saying “just one season” because she wants to go pro after one P5 year.

She redshirted the COVID season due to her knee injury. Hence my "None of those seasons was the 2020-21 season" comment. Had she played that season, she would have played four years but still had one year left. Redshirting that season doesn't buy her an extra year.

 

[Aclone]

She redshirted the COVID season due to her knee injury. Hence my "None of those seasons was the 2020-21 season" comment. Had she played that season, she would have played four years but still had one year left. Redshirting that season doesn't buy her an extra year.

Hence my point that a COVID sixth year would still be available—if the NCAA graces that to NAIA players.

It’s not the same thing as a redshirt.

 

[mred]

In my mind, we got a 5-Star recruit maybe as other teams were not as sold on her rehab. Just a dumb nagging thought, I guess.

She's an experienced, athletic 6-6 post with a history of great results. Even if her knee wasn't 100%, almost every major conference wbb team would still be happy to have her based on her 21-22 season. She came to ISU because she was looking for a specific situation and she found it here.

 

[mred]

Hence my point that a COVID sixth year would still be available—if the NCAA graces that to NAIA players.

It’s not the same thing as a redshirt.

That's not how the COVID year works. The NCAA basically said, whether you play in 2020-21 or not, that year will not count against your eligibility. Redshirting 2020-21 doesn't buy you an extra season. 2020-21 is the extra season, whether you play in it or not.

 

[mred]

Hence my point that a COVID sixth year would still be available—if the NCAA graces that to NAIA players.

It’s not the same thing as a redshirt.

Disclaimer to my above statement -- she does indeed have a sixth year on her eligibility time limit (as opposed to the standard "5 years to play 4") because the 2020-21 COVID season is erased from that 5-year timeframe. But she still only has one season of eligibility left. It just means she could redshirt this upcoming season and play in 23-24 without requiring a waiver form the NCAA. There's obviously no reason for her to do that (barring injury), but that is the rule.

 

[mred]

Can you detect an accent? I can't-don't know if this link will connect:

Link works fine.

I agree she doesn't have much of an accent. Her bio on the TMC wbb site says she was homeschooled for high school but played for Mount Baker HS in Deming, WA. From the article below, it seems she started playing for them her junior season. But a later article from the same paper indicates she returned to Brazil for her senior year. Did she only live in the US for that one year prior to college?

Soares sisters provide more than height for Mount Baker

Jessica and Stephanie Soares look to use their height and leadership to help the Mounties reach the state tournament for first time since 2005.

www.lyndentribune.com

 

[Aclone]

Disclaimer to my above statement -- she does indeed have a sixth year on her eligibility time limit (as opposed to the standard "5 years to play 4") because the 2020-21 COVID season is erased from that 5-year timeframe. But she still only has one season of eligibility left. It just means she could redshirt this upcoming season and play in 23-24 without requiring a waiver form the NCAA. There's obviously no reason for her to do that (barring injury), but that is the rule.

Again, assuming that the NCAA rule is applied to NAIA players…you are incorrect.

 

[mred]

Again, assuming that the NCAA rule is applied to NAIA players…you are incorrect.

I checked, and NAIA did apparently apply the same rule as the NCAA.

I am 99.5% sure I am correct. Can you explain exactly what you believe is wrong about my logic?

 

[VeloClone]

Again, assuming that the NCAA rule is applied to NAIA players…you are incorrect.

I agree with mred. The NCAA allowed that one season as a freebie. Some players weren't comfortable playing so they said that year wouldn't count against their eligibility whether you played or not. She didn't play due to injury so just like any other player who didn't play - or did for that matter, that year didn't count against her eligibility. I don't see how that gains her still another year of eligibility.

 

[Jkclone15]

Link works fine.

I agree she doesn't have much of an accent. Her bio on the TMC wbb site says she was homeschooled for high school but played for Mount Baker HS in Deming, WA. From the article below, it seems she started playing for them her junior season. But a later article from the same paper indicates she returned to Brazil for her senior year. Did she only live in the US for that one year prior to college?

Soares sisters provide more than height for Mount Baker

Jessica and Stephanie Soares look to use their height and leadership to help the Mounties reach the state tournament for first time since 2005.

www.lyndentribune.com

Brazilians in general don't have strong accents. Or I guess I should say their accent is relatively close to an American accent.

 

[Aclone]

I apologize, I think that I wasn’t clear. Pardon me for asking questions while distracted elsewhere. I wasn’t paying full attention

A. Stephanie has competed for four seasons, so this will count as her COVID year.

B. She used her redshirt in the injury year, so a redshirt (medical or otherwise) is no longer available.

C. The only way that she has another year available is if she winds up being injured most of this year—and petitions for the extra year of eligibility. Which is not the same thing as a “medical redshirt”.

My apologies for not being clearer.

 

[mred]

I checked, and NAIA did apparently apply the same rule as the NCAA.

I am 99.5% sure I am correct. Can you explain exactly what you believe is wrong about my logic?

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compliance/d1/D1GOV_COVID-19QAGuide.pdf

Quotes from this NCAA document:

Question: What is a season-of-competition waiver?
Answer: A season-of-competition waiver restores a used season when a student-athlete participates limitedly and cannot complete the season due to extraordinary circumstances. There are certain legislative criteria that must be satisfied for a season-of-competition waiver to be approved.

This defines a "season-of-competition" waiver as the mechanism that allows an extra year of competition (five years instead of four).

Question: What is an extension-of-eligibility waiver?
Answer: An extension-of-eligibility waiver extends a student-athlete's five-year period of eligibility ("clock"). Please note, an extension-of-eligibility waiver applies on a sport-by-sport basis.

This defines an "extension-of-eligibility" waiver as the mechanism that allows an extra year in the five-year-clock a student-athlete normally gets to compete for four seasons (six years instead of five).

Question: May an institution self-apply a season-of-competition waiver for a fall and/or winter sport student-athlete who competes during the fall/winter sport's entire 2020-21 season?
Answer: Yes.

This means someone who plays the entire 2020-21 season can get an extra year of eligibility.

Question: If a fall and/or winter sport student-athlete sustains a season-ending injury while competing during his or her fall/winter sport season (either during fall 2020 or spring 2021), does my institution need to file a hardship waiver with the conference office to restore use of that season of competition?
Answer: No. Any fall and/or winter sport student-athlete who competes during his or her fall/winter sport's season (either during fall 2020 or spring 2021) qualifies for a self-applied season-of-competition waiver, which restores the student-athlete's use of the 2020-21 season.

This means someone who plays a partial year in 2020-21 but gets injured and would be eligible for a medical redshirt doesn't need to apply for the medical redshirt, because they get an extra year of eligibility regardless (as mentioned in the prior answer).

Question: What does the Board of Directors' and Council's actions allowing institutions to self-apply extensions of eligibility permit?
Answer: Institutions may self-apply a one-year extension of eligibility for fall and/or winter sport student-athletes who are unable to compete, elect not to compete or who qualify for a season-of-competition waiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This means that someone who doesn't play at all in 2020-21 can get an extension of the five-year clock, and specifically lists them separate from the student-athletes who are eligible for an extra season of eligibility.

Question: Will season-of-competition waivers and/or extension requests approved by other organizations (e.g., National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, National Junior College Athletic Association) for 2020-21 fall and/or winter sport student-athletes be honored by the NCAA if a student-athlete transfers to an NCAA institution?
Answer: NCAA institutions may self-apply season-of-competition waivers and/or extension-of-eligibility waivers for 2020-21 fall and/or winter sport student-athletes via the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Previously Approved Request List, provided the student-athlete's enrollment and participation satisfy all the listed criteria in the previously approved request list.

I included this as confirmation that the NCAA rules apply to NAIA transfers.