Haley Steed was done, finished with a college career that had not really begun.
In 2009, for the third consecutive season,
the distraught member of the BYU women’s basketball team was down, pain
ripping through her from yet another torn ACL, a vital ligament in the
knee.
To come back from one such injury is hard
enough. To do it three times, well, "Initially, I thought I was done,"
said the 5-foot-4 guard. "For a month or so, I thought I was not going
to play again.
"I never thought I’d have three healthy years."
Not only has Steed, a senior who technically
has one year of eligibility remaining, come all the way back, she has
been a key component in the Cougars’ (26-6) drive to their first NCAA
Tournament since 2007, a 10th seed playing DePaul on Saturday in
Chicago.
Steed was a freshman when BYU was knocked out
of its last tournament, by Louisville at USC. She was also nursing the
first ACL tear and not available to play.
"I haven’t met a kid in all my coaching and
playing days who has the heart and determination Haley has," BYU coach
Jeff Judkins said. "To go through one ACL is hard, and she went through
three.
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