News brightens regarding recovery of injured players
3 are coming off ACL tears, another off Achilles surgery
It is possible to take team building a little too far.
University of New Mexico women’s basketball teammates Emily Lines and Jaisa Nunn may be pushing the limits this summer with matching scars on their right knees.
“We like to do things together,” Lines deadpanned during a Lobos workout session this week. “Jaisa and I came on our recruiting trips together, we hang out together, so we thought we’d have knee surgery together.”
Hospital humor is actually a nice change for the Lobos, who lost three players to season-ending knee surgery last season. Lines was injured at practice in early January, Nunn went down during a Jan. 29 game against Northern New Mexico, and Mykiel Burleson followed during a Feb. 8 contest against Air Force.
All three suffered ACL tears and were out for the rest of the season. Lines and Nunn are rising juniors, while Burleson will be a sophomore next season.
Because the injuries came relatively late in the season, Lobos coach Mike Bradbury initially feared that one or all of his injured players might not be fully recovered in time for the 2017-18 campaign. The news has since improved.
Lines has been running for several weeks and was recently cleared to begin limited jumping and cutting. Nunn said she isn’t far behind.
“I know I’ll be ready for the season,” Nunn said.
Burleson said she also expects to be ready for UNM’s Nov. 10 regular-season opener against Western Michigan. Bradbury said Burleson’s recovery is “a couple weeks” behind that of Lines and Nunn but progressing on schedule.
The knee-injury trifecta and rising junior Erica Moore’s recovery from Achilles surgery has kept team trainer Andrea Quintana extra busy in recent months, but Bradbury is relieved to see the injury report trending in a positive direction.
Lines said Burleson’s injury effectively snuffed out the matching-scars idea.
“Mykiel got hers on the left leg,” Lines said. “Hers looks all wrong.”