The Lunar Owls’ season seemed over before it even started. When Napheesa Collier announced that she would have to have surgery on both ankles and wouldn’t be able to play in Unrivaled, the Lunar Owls’ title chances evaporated immediately.
To add insult to injury, the team got hit with more bad injury luck. Skylar Diggins had to miss the team’s first three games, and Aaliyah Edwards had to miss the Lunar Owls’ most recent outings against the Rose and Phantom. Losing Edwards was a tough blow. She averaged a double-double over her first seven games with 21.4 points and 13 rebounds and was always a bright spot among all the losses.
Her injury had one obvious silver lining, though. With Edwards out, the Lunar Owls were finally able to unlock Temi Fágbénlé, and that will be invaluable for the rest of the season. Before, the Lunar Owls didn’t get much production out of Fágbénlé, Rebecca Allen, and Rachel Banham, which made it difficult to take Edwards, Diggins, or Marina Mabrey out of the game and keep up with deeper teams.
Temi Fágbénlé rose to the challenge in her last two games
Fágbénlé joined Unrivaled and the Lunar Owls late. She only signed with the league once Collier was officially ruled out. So, her slow start was no surprise. But, even a few games into the season, head coach DJ Sackmann barely played her and she produced little.
When Edwards’s injury forced Fágbénlé into a bigger role, she responded with a double-double. She put up 15 points and 12 rebounds against a Rose team that features Shakira Austin and Azurá Stevens. Fágbénlé’s game was overshadowed by Mabrey’s record-setting 47-point performance, but it was a great first outing in her new role. She followed that up with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks against the Phantom.
Getting Skylar Diggins back was also key to unlocking Fágbénlé. Fágbénlé needs someone to get her the ball and put her in positions to score. Mabrey did a great job of stepping up as the lead ball handler and playmaker with Diggins out, averaging 4.8 assists, but it is still beneficial to have a traditional point guard on the floor.
Aaliyah Edwards was announced as one of the participants in the 1-on-1 tournament that starts on February 11, so it seems fair to assume that she will also be back in action for the Lunar Owls soon. When that happens, Fágbénlé will move back to the bench, but the team and coaching staff will have a newfound trust in her ability to contribute to winning basketball.