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Packer Has Had Tough Season

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 8, 2008

TAMPA - Even before her senior season began, University of South Florida guard Daiane Packer thought her basketball career was over.

And maybe even her life.

While working out in the school's weight room this fall, Packer's heart began racing and she said she felt "pressure on her heart." Packer was taken to the emergency room at Tampa General Hospital, where she spent the night undergoing tests.

The initial diagnosis was that Packer had a hole in her heart and might have to undergo open heart surgery.

"I really got scared," said Packer, a native of Brazil. "The first doctor said he saw the hole and then said 'Oh, I've never seen that before.'

"My English isn't that good, but I understand that."

Packer called home to Brazil to tell her parents, Geraldo and Luci, and received more bad news. Her mother, who had earlier survived bouts with intestinal cancer and lung cancer, had been again diagnosed with lung cancer.

"Everything just came at once," Packer said. "That was pretty hard on me."

More tests on Packer later revealed there wasn't a hole in her heart, but a type of viral infection in her chest, USF assistant athletic trainer Donna Jordan said.

Packer took off several weeks before returning to practice. When she did, Packer had to wear a strap around her chest and a wrist watch to monitor her heart rate. If her heart rate got too high, the device would start beeping notifying Packer to stop working out.

"My teammates joked I was like a time bomb," Packer said.

Packer's condition eventually improved - her mother continues to battle lung cancer - and returned to play her senior year.

"She's had a lot of stuff to juggle not only as a basketball player, but as a person," USF coach Jose Fernandez said.

And like Packer, the Bulls haven't given up either.

USF closed the regular season with consecutive upsets to earn its third consecutive Big East Tournament trip. The 11th-seeded Bulls (15-14) play No. 6 Syracuse (22-7) tonight at 8 in Hartford, Conn.

Despite losing four starters from last year's WNIT team, USF's strong finish could earn the Bulls a fifth consecutive postseason berth and another banner to hang in the Sun Dome.

"If we go from the WNIT and then for us to fall into nothing, it would be a big step back," USF guard Shantia Grace said. "We want to keep it going and keep the program going in an upward direction.

"We've had our ups and downs, but now we're out to get revenge. A lot of teams beat us earlier, but now we're playing better basketball. We're playing as a team. It's all about how far we can go."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

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