The Mystics skipper and star shooter looks like a walking billboard for compression gear these days, with her left arm the only limb not bearing some sort of spandex when she takes the court. But if all the extra support wear gives the impression Tutaia is on the brink of falling apart, fear not. In fact, the silky shooter believes in some cases the added layers are giving her an edge.
After a painful foot injury hampered her Commonwealth Games campaign and ruled her out of last season's end-of-year test series against Australia and England, Tutaia said the compression socks are to prevent tightening in her Achilles tendon sparking foot problems.
"When my calves tighten, everything tightens so there is science to it, it's not about trying to be fashionable or anything like that," she said.
"It's just increasing the blood flow so I can keep running for longer."
But it is the elbow support on her shooting arm that seems to have made a noticeable difference.
"I've always trained with it on and I decided for the same reasons I train with it, I should wear it in matches.
"Sometimes when you're putting up a lot of shots in a game your arm can get a bit tired and by the end of the game it can feel a bit worn out and when that happens you can lose your technique. So I'm just trying to cover all bases."
Tutaia admits wearing the sleeve could just be having a placebo effect, but even so the stats suggest it is working for her. The Silver Fern star averaged a 76 per cent accuracy rate in her first three ANZ Championship appearances this season, in which she did not wear the support. Since deciding to play in her magic sleeve, she has averaged 84.3 per cent.
"My shooting accuracy hasn't been consistent for a long, long time, and I feel like it has really helped."
The Mystics skipper was the stand-out in a losing effort against the Firebirds last weekend, shooting 28/30, including some long-range stunners that helped inspire a fourth quarter comeback from her team.
Sunday's match was the third game this season Tutaia has finished with figures in the 90s, making her one of the best-performing shooters in the league. She is the only goal attack in the competition to make it into the top 10 for goals scored this year, and is second only to the Fever's Natalie Medhurst, who has put up significantly fewer shots, in accuracy.
Along with being injury-free, Tutaia has credited her strong season to the arrival of former Magic mentor Noeline Taurua at the franchise.
"Noels ... is a bit of a genius in that attack end, she just sees things differently and makes us think in a way we hadn't before."
While Tutaia is reasonably satisfied with her own season thus far, she is disappointed, but not disheartened, by the Mystics' mixed form. The Auckland side sit atop the New Zealand conference, but have been unconvincing in patches as they still seek a win against Australian sides.
"I'm still really positive ... this year it feels like we have a whole different vibe and intensity. Yes we've lost three games and drawn a couple, but I feel like on the whole we have been on an upward path and we are not far from putting it all together."
- By Dana Johannsen of the New Zealand Herald
