Virginia becomes second ACC women's basketball program to cancel season

The Virginia women's basketball program announced that it would be canceling the remainder of the season, making the Cavaliers the second women's school in the ACC to opt out of finishing the scheduled season, citing "health and safety concerns."

While the official announcement was not made today, Virginia had not played a game in over a month, with six games being canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. 

"We have the pleasure of coaching a very resilient group of young women who have fought through injuries, a strict COVID-19 protocol, and all the mental battles that come with it," coach Tina Thompson said. "So, the decision to end our season mid-stream comes with great difficulty. As difficult as it is to end our season in this manner, it is a necessary one. The health and safety of our student-athletes will always be the number one priority. We will continue to focus on their overall well-being and prepare to resume competition in the fall."

So far, Virginia and Duke's women's teams are the only major basketball programs to opt out of the remainder of their seasons. On Christmas Day, Duke similarly announced that the rest of their season was canceled, citing "health and safety concerns stemming from COVID-19."

While men and women's college basketball attempts to finish as scheduled, one has to wonder if the ongoing pandemic could mean that others will eventually follow Virginia and Duke's lead and cancel their seasons. But for now, the NCAA remains determined to complete its season despite the obvious obstacles.