Covid this and Covid that.
Eff Covid, right? Seems like that damn coronavirus ruined everything. Public school students in West Virginia lost a year of education, non-profit organizations were forced to cancel their most important fundraisers, addiction gripped the vulnerable tighter than ever before, and millions of loved ones were lost worldwide during the two-year pandemic.
And Covid stopped Taylor Duplaga in her tracks, and she hasn’t been happy about it since she was removed from the court after two seasons at Fairmont State University. The guard appeared in 28 games for the Lady Falcons and averaged 4.6 points per game and collected 24 assists following a stellar high school career at Wheeling Central Catholic.
But now Taylor, one of five children raised in Wheeling by Michael and Alyssa Duplaga, will finally have the chance to return to the hardwood. This time, though, she’s going to keep it local.
Today at 2 p.m. inside Wheeling University’s McDonough Center, she will wear No. 25 as one of 18 Lady Cardinals playing for Head Coach Ann Kowalska against Edinboro. Wheeling was 14-15 overall and 12-10 in the Mountain East Conference and also will welcome Mercyhurst University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
And yes, Taylor has something to prove, but not to you and not to anyone else … except … well, maybe … you know her brother, Luke, right?
Of all the sports you’ve played, which one is your favorite and why?
I grew up playing soccer, hockey, softball, and basketball. However, once middle school rolled around, I narrowed it down to playing basketball because I knew already it was my favorite sport I played. I wanted to focus on the game of basketball because I had a goal I made for myself at a young age that I wanted to play in college.
Basketball is a very fast-paced sport which is why I love it. It’s a sport where you can’t cheat the game. If you aren’t in the gym every day perfecting your shot or your dribbling, it will absolutely show in games or practices.
The sport requires a lot of commitment and dedication.
What are the best and worst parts about having four brothers?
The best part of having four brothers is that I never had to deal with having to fight with a sibling over “who gets what” because at the end of the day, I was the only girl. So, to say the least, I was – and still am – my parent’s favorite being the only girl (sorry brothers), but honestly
I absolutely love having four brothers, and I wouldn’t wish to have it any other way. I believe they had a huge part in molding me into the tough woman I am today. For example, growing up with four brothers I wasn’t playing with Barbie dolls. Instead, I was outside in the yard playing tackle football with my brothers and their friends.
I wouldn’t say anything is the worst part of having four brothers and I always would say, when people have asked, if I would have wanted just one sister, “Absolutely not.” I just know we would be complete opposites and I wouldn’t want to hear about “drama” all day and night.”
Having four brothers makes things much more like, “Get over it, move on, no one cares about your sob story,” and growing up like has made me an all-around stronger person mentally and physically.
Explain your “secret weapon” on the basketball court.
I would say my defense. I would rather hold a team’s best player to zero points than score 20 points. My energy also comes into play as a secret weapon because I play with very high energy and I believe when you bring energy good things happen.
What is the one menu item at Generations that you eat most often? Why?
Buffalo Chicken Wrap.
You can’t go wrong with chicken inside a wrap, and on top of that, I’m a huge fan of “spicy” food. Oh, and you cannot forget about Generation’s homemade ranch on the side to dip the wrap in. It’s like the icing on top of a cake.
If you could say five words to everyone on Earth, what would those five words be?
EVERYTHING happens for a reason.
