BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Brenna Wise wasn't used to this.

The sitting.

The watching.

The waiting.

But that was the situation the Cranberry Township native and Vincentian Academy graduate found herself in over the winter after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh to the Indiana University women's basketball team.

Since she first picked up a basketball, Wise had been a fixture on the court for whatever team she was on.

Until the 2016-17 season.

“It was definitely a tough pill to swallow to say the least,” Wise said. “As much as you think you are prepared to sit out a year, you're not.”

Because of NCAA rules, Wise was reduced to spectator on game days.

But Wise, now a redshirt junior for the Hoosiers, used her time off the court, well, wisely.

“When you're a freshman coming into a program, you have to learn the coaches and the system on the fly,” Wise said. “I had an entire year to learn the coaches and the system (here). I feel like I learned a lot sitting, seeing the game from a different perspective. I feel like my basketball IQ has really improved.”

Wise also went through arduous workouts at least three days a week in addition to team activities. She used that extra time to hone an already stellar skill set that allowed the 6-footer to post 10.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a freshman at Pitt and 14.3 points and 6.4 boards per contest for the Panthers as a sophomore in 2016-17.

Read the full story in The Cranberry Eagle.