The UNCW women’s basketball team began practice last week without junior Julia Finlay and assistant coach Johnetta Hayes. The two were involved in an incident Sept. 20 where Hayes demanded that Finlay log roll the length of Trask Coliseum for 30 minutes. The drill was meant to punish Finlay for being kicked out of practice the previous week.

Head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who was not at the Sept. 20 practice, said that there is no timetable for either’s return.

“I don’t have a date right now,” she said. “We love coach Hayes. We love Julia. I know this is a tough moment but we can’t wait to get our team back together and have a full team.”

When asked if she was positive both would return to the team for the 2010-11 season, Cooper-Dyke could not give a definitive answer.

“I don’t know anything for certain,” said Cooper-Dyke. “All I know for certain is that we’re going to start up here in November and the team that is on the court will be ready and prepared to play.”

The absence of Finlay and Hayes and the strong media attention that has surrounded the event has created an obvious distraction for the team. Senior Brittany Blackwell noted that the team is just trying to move forward.

“It’s going to be what it’s going to be,” said Blackwell. “You have to learn how to move past distractions and move on.”

Sophomore Mya Levels admitted that the distractions have been difficult, but the team is trying to put that behind them.

“At first it hurt us but at the same time we still have to be a team and work together.”

It is likely that the distractions will persist until both Finlay and Hayes return to the team. But for now, even their return is in question.