RETURNING TO THE COURT
Ex-Bakersfield High standout Taylor Caldwell leads Grand Canyon in first game back since ACL injury
When Taylor Caldwell made a 3-point shot at the 5:30 mark of the first quarter it was an important moment for the Grand Canyon sophomore. The basket gave her the first of her game-high 21 points that sparked the Antelopes to a 93-72 victory over Weber State on Nov. 27 in the GCU Arena.
It was a great start to the season for Caldwell, but then again, just being on the court was an accomplishment in itself.
Thirteen months before, the 5-foot-9 point guard tore the ACL in her left knee during practice, ending her season before it even started.
She had surgery the week before Thanksgiving and spent the next year trying to get back to this moment. Working tirelessly with a physical therapist, rehabbing with the school’s athletic trainer, all with an eye of getting back on the court doing what she loves most. Mission accomplished.
“It felt kind of surreal,” said Caldwell, who made 8 of 12 field goals, including two 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes of action. “I was excited. I was nervous. I had butterflies … but of course that’s before every game. But it felt natural though. I felt like I haven’t missed a year.”
But she had, and the heavy brace on her left leg serves as a reminder. It also gives her some added confidence; some reassurance that the same injury won’t happen again. She was in action again Dec. 2 with a home game against Benedictine Mesa and another game Dec. 5 when GCU hosted Loyola Marymount.
“I’ve gone through some instances in practices where I’ve fallen hard or I got hit hard and that made me nervous a little bit, but as practice has gone on and as I’ve gotten more experience on court, I’ve come to trust it more,” said Caldwell, a Bakersfield High graduate, who led the Drillers to back-to-back Central Section Division II championships. “I mean I have full confidence in it that it will hold up even if it gets beat up a little bit.”
While Caldwell has that confidence, that didn’t stop her mother, Monique Johnson, from holding her breath a few times during Nov. 27’s game. Unable to attend the game due to COVID-19 restrictions that limit attendance, Johnson and her mother, Sharon Johnson watched online from her living room more than 500 miles away.
“When she’s falling on the ground, and I’m like ‘Oh please, get up’ and ‘be careful,’” said Monique Johnson, who says several
other family members watched from their respective houses, with everyone texting each other during the action. “And she fell a few times … I was praying, like please be OK … Ok you’re up, you’re good, and I’d see how she’s moving after she gets up. But I was just hoping and praying that everything was going to be OK.”
With her daughter safe and injury free, Johnson said she could hardly contain her excitement. That was especially true as Caldwell started pouring in points. She made her first four shots, helping Grand Canyon build a 29-7 first-quarter lead.
“It was kind of emotional watching her first game from here,” Johnson said. “I can’t really describe what I felt inside. But I was very proud of her, and I was screaming at the TV.”
Johnson wasn’t alone. Caldwell’s former coach at Bakersfield High, Rashaan Shehee, was enjoying the action with a watch party with his family and assistant coach Robert Huntsman.
“We watched her online so it was just as if we were there,” Shehee said. “Man, we were over there going crazy. After we saw
that first bucket go in, no rim, all net, we were just excited for her just to be back on the court moving around.”
Following the game, Johnson and Shehee were two of the first people Caldwell called.
“It exceeded my expectations,” Shehee said. “I was just happy to see her being out on the court doing what she loves to do, because I know the journey that it took for her to get back to where she is right now. It was a long rehabilitation, moreso mentally. We know the body is going to heal physically, but the mental side of it … There were times where she thought she had hit a low, and I had to tell her this isn’t your low yet. We had plenty of cry sessions along this journey. Just to see her smiling and out there on the court, it was really joyous for us.”
First year Grand Canyon coach Molly Miller shared in the excitement, giving Caldwell a high-five after removing her from the game for the final time with 2:16 to play. It was just 12 seconds after Caldwell scored on a layup to give her team a 21-point lead.
“Oh my gosh, this is the kind of story where you just want to see the kid succeed and do well,” Miller said. “It pulls on your heartstrings because there’s a lot of work that goes into before to get you back ready. So for her to have that success right out of the gate, I was just so happy as a coach, and I’m very proud of her. I’m obviously very hopeful now for the future and what she’s going to bring to this team.”
Although she was happy with her play in the season opener, Caldwell said she realizes this is just one game and looks forward to working hard to improve.
“I still feel like I have a lot of work to do, actually,” Caldwell said. “Even though I feel 100 percent and I feel confident in my knee, I feel like this summer is going to be really big for me just with my physicality. Getting stronger, getting faster, getting quicker on my feet. Last summer I rehabbed a lot, obviously, and some rehab got pushed back due to COVID and other things so I feel like I still have a long way to go in that aspect. And that’s scary because I feel good now. So, getting even better, that’s going to be a scary sight.”