Green felt great Saturday when her team conducted an intrasquad scrimmage at UD Arena. She started feeling sick Sunday. She had a headache, sore throat and fever.
“My whole body just hurt,” she said Tuesday. “I know my body. I knew this was not normal. I didn’t feel better the next morning. We were COVID testing on Monday morning anyway. I had a feeling when I went into it, it wasn’t going to be the result I wanted. You try to be so safe. You try to take all the precautions. It can happen. It’s out there. It kind of wakes you up.”
Green still felt sick Tuesday but said “as long as I don’t get any sicker than I feel now, I can handle it.” She will self isolate in her basement, separated from her husband Andy and son Matteo, until Dec. 3.
“I have a pretty good setup down here,” she said. “I’m trying to stay clear. If I go upstairs, I have a mask on.”
In a press release, Athletic Director Neil Sullivan said, “My thoughts are with Shauna at this time. The health and safety of our student-athletes and coaches are paramount, and we will do whatever is necessary to keep them safe. We take this very seriously and will continue to adhere to the protocols put forth by medical professionals.”
Green at least will be able to watch her team play Wednesday. The game will be televised on ESPN+. No spectators will be allowed.
When informed of Green’s positive COVID-19 test, Morehead State asked that Dayton players undergo another round of tests Wednesday morning. Dayton gets the results back in 20 minutes, and any positive test would be followed by a second test.
While a number of games across the country have already been cancelled because of positive COVID-19 tests sending teams into quarantine, it can be different if a coach tests positive.
“I’m not practicing with them,” Green said. “I always have a mask on. I have a mask on in all of our staff meetings. We are social distancing. We don’t eat together. We’ve been very careful for this reason. If a player gets it, there’s no way around it. You’re going to be shut down if you’re playing.”
Dayton has already lost one game off the schedule because of COVID-19. Its second of the season at Illinois State on Dec. 2 was cancelled last weekend when Illinois State paused team activities because of a positive COVID-19 test. Dayton will try to replace that game, Green said, with a home game on Dec. 3, the first day she can return.
If Dayton does play Wednesday, all the players will be available, Green said, except two freshmen who will miss the season with injuries: Bailee Adkins (foot) and Anna LeMaster (hip).
Dayton beat Morehead State 58-41 last season. It was the first meeting between the programs since 1995. Morehead finished 10-20 last season, ending a streak of three straight 20-win seasons. It was picked to finish ninth out of 12 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll.
Green said the team is ready and anxious play an outside opponent.
“It’s been such a different preseason,” Green said. “We don’t have as much in as we normally would at this point. I was more about let’s try to be the best we can at the smaller things. We need the games to really measure where we’re at. I think we’re ready to play. I don’t know if it’s going to be the most complete game.”
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