Amelia Hassett Played Through Walking Pneumonia Last Season

Amelia Hassett on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk (Larry Vaught Photo)

Amelia Hassett averaged 8.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 assists per game last season after transferring from junior college (Eastern Florida) to Kentucky while averaging 33 minutes per game in the 31 games she played.

Hassett averaged almost a double-double much of the season and the 6-foot-3 forward’s 39 blocked shots ranked eighth in the SEC and her 244 rebounds were 11th. She also made 55 3-pointers, the third best total on her team.

However, what might be the most impressive stat about the UK senior from Albury, New South Wales, Australia, is that she was not healthy for most of the SEC season.

“Yes, I was a bit sick,” Hassett said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “I guess they call it walking pneumonia.”

Walking pneumonia is described as a mild lung infection and symptoms include a sore throat, sneezing, cough, headache, mild chills and a low-grade fever.

Hassett said she just kept “playing through it all” even if she was tired at times.

“It happens during a long season,” Hassett said.

No one outside the team knew Hassett was battling any type of illness or injury since she played in every game.

“We kind of kept it quiet and just pushed through it,” she said. “Your body is tired. At halftime of games I was taking some Gatorade or drinking other stuff to help refuel my body to get back out there in the second half.

“Once you’re on the court, the adrenaline kicks in and you’re just like I have to keep going. You don’t really think about it as much because you’re just thinking about the game so much.”

I asked Hassett if the UK coaching staff decided not to share the news about her illness so opponents would not know or if it was her idea not to say anything.

“Honestly, I’m not too sure. It was just you’re sick but you have to keep going. We didn’t really talk about it,” Hassett said.

Hassett admitted that playing so many minutes like UK’s starters did last season took a toll on her.

“By the end of  it (the season),  it definitely takes a toll but in the moment you really don’t think about it,” Hassett said. “It like you step on that court and everything disappears. You’re just playing the game you love, so I guess no one really thought about it (playing so many minutes). We just wanted to win and just wanted to keep the season going.”