Girls’ basketball has sustained and recovered from injuries
Whitfield was out with a high ankle sprain, but has fought back to be in the starting lineup again for the Red Knights.
After having two starters out for about a month, the girls’ basketball team is back at full strength with just a few games to go before Sections.
Senior captain Abby Wilgers, who was out for four weeks with an avulsion fracture, is almost ready to play again and is hoping to play February 9 against St. Louis Park. Wilgers’ recovery was tough, as she had to do a week of physical therapy as well as little exercises everyday to help her recover. “I’ve had to do ice baths everyday since [my] injury.”
The recovery was tough, but sitting on the sidelines was just as bad. Now that she is almost fully healthy, Wilgers will be looking to once again lead the Red Knights to some victories. “The worst part would have to be sitting on the bench,” Wilgers said. “[It was] tough not being able to play or practice while everyone else was able to”.
Freshmen guard Aiana Whitfield was also out with an injury. Two weeks ago, Whitfield suffered a high ankle sprain in a home win against Chaska. Although no major rehab was necessary, Whitfield did small exercises to help her recover. “I [did] small exercises like writing the alphabet out with my foot,” Whitfield said.
She also did cryotherapy at The Locker in St. Louis Park. “[Cryotherapy] is a process where you go into a chamber for about a minute and are exposed to sub-zero temperatures,” Whitfield explained. “This helps with speeding up healing and reducing pain.”
The hardest part for Whitfield has been the time away from the court. “It is hard sitting on the bench for games, especially when we are losing… [knowing] I couldn’t help contribute,” she said.
However, Whitfield feels that the pressure and adversity the team faced without her and Wilgers has lead to a great bond between the team. “It was awesome to see us overcome obstacles and still continue to grow and develop together,” she said.
With Wilgers and Whitfield inserted back into the starting lineup, the girls basketball team is hoping to grab some wins against their last five opponents of the regular season, before Section 6AAA’s begin on March 2.
