Relax said my tennis coach. Your opponent is well trained, but she is no match for your powerful and accurate serve. Which commonly overused word can be replaced with a more effective choice?

The correct answer is Said

This is a very common word used by anyone for any reason. You could replace it with something more memorable or better sounding like stated or exclaimed or anything else that isn't as basic as "said" because that's the most basic vocabulary that exists.