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Hearing the frustration in her daughter's voice was difficult. Even if she wasn't 750 miles away, Laurice Wicijowski knew she couldn't help.
It was right after Taryn, a rising senior, had torn her second ACL — this one in the other knee. Until she arrived in Utah, Taryn Wicijowski hadn't known much of injury, or even losing games for that matter. The latest big setback put her career in question, a future she had diligently planned for years.
"It was heartbreaking," Laurice said. "We were upset that she was so upset. But she fought back, trained hard. We just told her that life doesn't always hand you the perfect road. You take what life hands you, and we're just so proud that she's done that so well."
On Friday night, the 24-year-old Wicijowski met her parents, grandparents and sister on the Huntsman Center floor, taking a bouquet in her hands and beaming for cameras before Utah came up with a 66-64 win over Oregon later in the evening.
The three-time all-conference forward from Saskatchewan has one more home game remaining, Sunday against No. 7 Oregon State. It's been a rough season for the Utes (9-17, 3-12), and not particularly a fitting final chapter for Wicijowski whom coach Anthony Levrets describes as "one of the all-time greats" of a program with a traditionally high bar for excellence.
But six years at Utah has been a blessing for Wicijowski in many ways, she said, and being able to play that last game — just reaching the finish line of a long, tumultuous career — is deeply fulfilling.
"You want to go out the best you can," she said. "You want to go out playing your best in this gym."
Even in a losing season, Wicijowski has pulled her weight. She leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpg), blocks (1.0 bpg) and shooting percentage (.492). When she leaves, she'll leave an imprint in Utah's record book, where she sits in the top 10 of scoring and rebounding.
But she may be unrivaled in program history when it comes to a blend of basketball talent and off-the-court success. She already has bachelors' degrees in biology and psychology with a chemistry minor, and she's adding a minor in nutrition this semester. When she talks about a recent lab she took on bacteria and genetics, her voice picks up as if she's recounting a "SportsCenter" highlight.
It's well-documented that she has a near-perfect GPA — getting docked only for A-minuses in American history, which she's never quite gotten over as a Canadian.
Before she wanted to be a basketball player, Wicijowski told her parents she wanted to be a doctor. If those two dreams somehow conflict, no one has ever persuaded her. There were a few times when Levrets might've been a little lenient in allowing her to come to practice, but beyond that, Wicijowski has very much balanced her studies and basketball on her own.
"She has never needed any help," Levrets said. "She can do anything. To play at her level while pursuing her major, it's just unreal."
Wicijowski is the type that has a long-term plan for all of her ambitions, but when life got in the way of her goals, she was able to adapt. When she sat in two separate seasons recovering from her ACL tears, she focused on school work, squeezing in practice and rehab among five-hour lab classes.
On the court, her skills have evolved as well. She's become a more avid passer and playmaker as squads try to smother her with double teams.
Dealing with defeat, especially in close games, has been mentally taxing during her senior season. Levrets wants to win either way, but he said it's especially painful to watch someone who has given so much to the program grind through a disappointing year.
But the game itself is a blessing, Wicijowski said. Her career and education have given her the opportunity to play professionally, which may happen in the next few months, or go to med school, which may be a few years down the road. And there's still joy in suiting up for the Utes, taking her home court and occasionally seeing things come together for a win.
On Friday, she said she'll remember her time at Utah fondly — "How much of a family we are," she said.
According to Levrets, Wicijowski is the model of what a member of the Utah basketball family should be.
"She's shown this group how to be a senior," he said. "She's fought, she's competed and she's made the most of her time here."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Taryn Wicijowski at a glance
• Three-time all-conference honoree (one MW, two Pac-12)
• Fourth player in 1,800 point, 1000-rebound club in school history
• School record holder for free-throw attempts (627)
• Seventh in scoring (1,854 points), fifth in rebounding (1,011 rebounds)
• Leads team this season in scoring, rebounds, blocks and shooting percentage
• Experience with the Canadian national team —
No. 7 Oregon State at Utah
P Jon M. Huntsman Center
Tipoff • Noon
TV • Pac-12 Network
Records • OSU (24-2, 14-1); Utah (9-17, 3-12)