Torn from the Game

By Yenny Arango, ’28

With an exponential growth in women’s sports and the Women’s National Basketball Association over the last couple of years, the pressure on athletes has escalated. This has  caused a rise in injuries (specifically the anterior cruciate ligament).

Compared to men, women are two to eight times more likely to experience an ACL tear. Yale Medicine has reported that this is due to several reasons: their pelvis is wider, which alters the function of other bones; they have less muscle mass around their knees; and their hormones cause a lack of muscle density and looseness during their menstrual cycle.

Stress can also lead to muscle tension, increasing the risk of an ACL injury. Research shows that there has been an increase in WNBA players who have missed a season due to ACL injuries from 2021 to 2025. WNBA viewership has grown 21% compared to last season. Based on the growing excitement shown for women’s sports, the league is expanding and games are being added, but the season still spans only five months. 

Teams in 2025 have been scheduled to play 44 games — not including the playoffs. Since the pandemic, they have added 18 more games to the season. Adding more games will produce more revenue for the league, but also leads to additional stress on the players. Games are now happening day after day, leaving athletes with no time to rest and recover. 

Natasha Cloud, guard on the New York Liberty, stated, “Cathy needs to extend the season… if you want the best product on the floor, we need proper time to rest and recover.” Many other players have also expressed that Cathy Engelbert (WNBA commissioner) should consider that the increase in games provides less time for recovery, which is required for them to put in their best work.

However, these injuries are also emerging in other women’s athletics outside of the WNBA. Female participation in sports has skyrocketed over the recent years, with women making up 47% of all Division 1 student-athletes. 

Belle, a high school student athlete in New York, has torn her ACL two times while playing basketball. She tore her right ACL in August of 2024 and her left one a year later. The first time she tore her ACL, she landed on her leg wrong the first time and heard a crunch. So when she heard that same crunch a year later, she knew what the outcome would be.

Belle felt helpless because everyday activities became extremely difficult to perform. Her injury helped her appreciate and miss the little things that she complained about: conditioning, bad coaches, and even bad games. She stated, “I think it changed my mindset to just be grateful and to celebrate the little things because coming back from an injury is such a hard thing and such a rigorous task that it has helped.” Many things were taken for granted, such as being able to straighten your leg fully or get ready in the morning, which she now makes sure to remember as an accomplishment during her recovery.

Experiencing an ACL injury also causes a lot of mental struggles. Belle expressed, “It made me feel like my life almost had lost its purpose, which was scary for me, but I learned that I am so much more than my sport and that basketball is what I do and not who I am.” Something she wishes she had access to was a sports psychologist to help her understand an athlete’s mind, more than a therapist would.

Seeing how many other female athletes have shared their story and journey about their injury helped reveal that it is possible to come back better and stronger. Some of the players named include Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers, Sue Bird, and Cameron Brink.

A very popular question that athletes ask themselves after an injury is, “Will I be the same athlete as I was before?” 

Belle asked herself this during the process, and so did an athlete who helped inspire her, Azzi Fudd. On ESPN, Azzi covers her journey of tearing her ACL and the impact it had  on her and her family. 

In the 2019 USA Basketball 3×3 U18 tournament, Azzi tore her right ACL, which had a significant impact  on her mother, Katie Fudd. Katie had gone through the same process while Azzi was about two years old. She trained and coached Azzi to work on becoming a better basketball player, which worked out since she became the number one basketball recruit in the 2021 class.

Seeing how Azzi had to experience the same excruciating pain hurt Katie — and Azzi knew it. Katie immediately knew what had happened as she landed and helped her on her journey to recovery. There was a lot of work, grinding, exercising, and effort that had to be put in to be able to relearn basic motor functions and make sure that she was ready to play. 

Then, on November 14, 2023, while Azzi was at the University of Connecticut — she tore her right ACL again during practice — missing the 2023-2024 season. However, this time she had her teammate, Paige Bueckers, by her side.

Bueckers tore her left ACL in August of 2022 — making this her first big injury. Although she revealed that the mental aspect of going through an injury is the hardest part, she was able to overcome her mental battle and keep a positive  mindset, mainly through her faith and remembering how Kobe Bryant shaped his injury into something greater. 

Seeing her teammates out on the court gave her a sick feeling because she missed the sport, considering that it is a big part of her life. Bueckers’ approach changed and made sure to prioritize her body, nutrition, and health — ameliorating her journey.

ACL injuries require a laborious recovery process, and unfortunately, the number of injuries happening is increasing. However these stories are gaining more recognition, which in turn, sets examples for younger athletes to follow.