AMHERST — The annual Play4Kay game was always important to UMass coach Tory Verdi.
It was an opportunity to help women fighting breast cancer, for his players to be involved in something important and to honor one of the legend’s of women’s basketball.
But this year it will be far more personal. Verdi’s wife Heather, 44, was diagnosed with breast cancer in late December and is currently going through chemotherapy to shrink the tumor at Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s cancer center.
“My personal situation has brought a different perspective. I never realized how brutal a process this is and what they really have to go through,” said Verdi, who is in his second season coaching UMass. “I look at my wife and I’m not sure I could handle what she goes through.”
But Verdi emphasized the game against Davidson (Saturday 2 p.m., at the Mullins Center) was about more than just his family. He wanted to reach out to anyone who has gone through or are currently going through what his wife is.
“I just want to bring some awareness,” he said. “We need help and we need everybody’s attention. We have to do everything we can to help those who are fighting and support and applaud the survivors.”
Women’s teams around the country will be wearing varying amounts of pink in their uniforms this weekend as part of the nationwide Play4Kay events. The Minutewomen will be in pink T-shirts in warmups, and pink uniforms and shoes during the game. Some players will add pink accessories — socks, headbands, etc.
Play4Kay was originally Think Pink when it started in 2004-05 to honor North Carolina State coach Kay Yow. The Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer was an active advocate for awareness and research to fight breast cancer, a disease she battled three times.
Before she died in 2009, she established the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, which according to its website (KayYow.com) “is a charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women’s cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause.”
UMass will show a short video where its player tell viewers facts of the disease and then dedicate their play to someone who is fighting. A handful of players chose Heather Verdi.
She was diagnosed in December and began a regimen of chemotherapy. Her parents, who live in Florida, have come north to help the couple and their three children.
“You never think it’s going to be your family and all of a sudden it hits you in the face. Is she going to be able to survive? Is she going to live?” Verdi said. “You’re never prepared. Your world comes crashing down.”
He said an immediate call from athletic director Ryan Bamford started an overwhelming show of support.
“The community and the athletic department have been unbelievable. People have been phenomenal,” he said. “We are so blessed living in the community we live in today. Her doctors and nurses and everyone involved, I can’t say enough about them.”
Verdi threw himself into researching the disease that affects one in eight women every year, making his struggles to sleep an opportunity to learn.
Basketball has been a haven. For a couple hours each day he can get lost in coaching.
“When I’m here on the court with the players, I can kind of escape reality a little bit,” he said. “Once we’re done I walk out and continue on.”
Senior center Maggie Mulligan said the players have tried to help.
“It’s important for us to try to take some stress off him knowing what he’s going through at home,” she said. “Doing what we need to do so he can focus on his family life is very important to us.”
Verdi has managed not to miss either any doctor’s appointments or any games, which has been a challenge. He’s entrusted more responsibility to his staff, especially associate head coach Danny Hughes. Verdi drove to St. Bonaventure by himself through a snowstorm so he could leave late to make one of Heather’s appointments.
Verdi said he won’t hesitate to miss basketball if he needs to.
“If it’s a day, if it’s a week, if it’s a month, my staff knows what to do to keep this program running. That’s given me the comfort to attend every single meeting and be there with my wife,” he said. “There’s a lot of meetings and appointments, but it’s something I wasn’t going to miss.”
Heather Verdi hasn’t been able to go to many games since her diagnosis, but she’ll be back in her seats behind the UMass bench Saturday. Verdi will be comforted by her presence then and continued to be inspired by her courage everyday.
“It’s been unreal to listen and watch her. I’ve seen her in a different light,” he said. “She’s doing everything she can to beat this thing and right now she’s kicking its ass.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage