“I may not have a full-blown episode, but I don’t feel like my normal self [when playing],” Keenan said. “That’s just kind of my new normal.”
Chaska teammate Addison Schneider, left, and assistant coach John Thompson check on senior forward Ella Keenan after she felt dizzy during a recent practice. She sits next to Thompson during games, and she uses a hand signal when she’s on the court to let him know if she’s fine or she’s struggling. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune) (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Which begs a question: Why do this?
Why keep playing? Why not walk away?
“It’s worth it to play,” she said. “I love playing with my team.”
That’s why she pleaded with coaches to let her back on the court in the second half against Eden Prairie in the section semifinals. She told Thompson that she felt great and that “if this is the last game of my season, I’m not going out sitting on the bench.”
She got back in and made a shot that kept the team’s season alive. That was a thumbs-up moment.