Feb. 27, 2004

Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's basketball team has been through many ups and downs this season. However, the highs and lows of winning and losing are all brought into perspective when a teammate goes down. Take that and multiply it by three and that's what these Catamounts have had to deal with this year. WCU lost three players within two weeks of each other due to season-ending injuries. Although the list of active players has dropped to eight, the team's fortitude is just as fervent as ever in their quest to win and compete for a Southern Conference championship.

The first loss of the season was Shaketia Barnes (Ketia) who tore her ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and her Lateral Meniscus during a practice prior to the team's game at UNC Greensboro (Jan. 17). The second injury was sustained by Teyawna Hardy who broke her fifth metatarsal in her left foot for the second time in her career at WCU. The final injury was to Summer Thagard who also broke her fifth metatarsal in her right foot while in practice. This left the Lady Catamounts with eight healthy players for the remaining 11 games of the season.

Barnes's injury required surgery, which she underwent on Feb. 9. The surgery takes about six months to fully recover from and she is just two weeks into her recovery process so far. After surgery, the muscles in her right leg were very weak, so rehabilitation becomes a vital part of recovery. Ketia will be unable to do any jogging for approximately three months, but she is just as determined as ever to come back even stronger for next season.

"I've been doing all of my physical therapy and I'm told I am coming back faster from surgery than most do," Barnes said. "I'm doing everything I can to stay motivated and positive and I don't plan on taking a day off until I'm completely recovered."

Hardy's physical problems started her freshman year when she had surgery on her foot to remove a tumor. From there her foot became weak and was much more susceptible to breaking. After being cleared by doctors to be able to fully practice and play with the team this past December, Teyawna was finally able to play in her first game ever as a Catamount against Wofford on Dec. 30, 2003. With one minute left in the game, the 5-11 guard sank a jumper in her first career attempt and drew the foul, connecting on the free throw for the three-point play.

"Going into that game and scoring was the most unbelievable feeling," Hardy admitted. "It was a huge adrenaline rush for me."

However, Teyawna broke her foot again during a practice earlier this month, ending her inaugural season as an active player. Although she will have to sit out for the rest of the 2003-04 season, her foot is healing without surgery and she has a good chance to be cleared for the 2004-05 season.

Thagard has been through a number of injuries in her four years at WCU, including three surgeries on a dislocated perennial tendon, a torn plantar fascia, a stress fracture and most recently, a broken fifth metatarsal in her right foot that put her out for the rest of the season. Summer just got her cast taken off this week and will be wearing a walking boot for about four weeks, but thankfully will not need surgery.

Junior Summer Thagard had played in four games before being sidelined for the season with an injury to her foot.

"All of my injuries have been tough emotionally and physically, but my family, friends and teammates always remind me that I am strong and will always get through it," Thagard said.

Summer also got to play in a couple of games this season before her injury. The 6-3 center appeared in five contests, grabbing two rebounds during that span.

With the Southern Conference tournament right around the corner, the three injured players are nervous and excited for the team. As stated by Ketia and agreed upon by Summer and Teyawna, "A slow start and record mean nothing because the SoCon tournament is like a season in its own. The regular-season is kind of like a lot of practices to get the team ready for the tournament." The trio also felt that a win at the tournament would be a huge accomplishment considering the team did struggle at the beginning of the season and have not won a tournament game since 1999.

Ketia is in a different situation than Summer and Teyawna because she hasn't been injured most of her career like the other two. She was actually having the best season of her career before the injury to her knee and always went into each game with a spark of energy for the team. The 5-9 guard appeared in 12 games this season, amassing 35 points and 12 rebounds, adding six steals and one block. In one of her best games of the season, Barnes sparked a 12-0 comeback run by Western to bring the Cats within four points of Clemson (Dec. 4) in the second half. Next year will be her senior season and she plans on coming back strong for it by sticking to her rehab and staying positive.

All three of these ladies understand their role on the team and always show up to practices and games with great enthusiasm and encouragement. After going through as much as they have, one wonders how they stay so positive. All three agreed that the fact that they are there encouraging their teammates also keeps them encouraged. Even though they are injured, they are still a part of the team and feel like their job right now is to keep the team up and help them prepare mentally for the upcoming SoCon championship run. In a way, they each see themselves as coaches who are more on the players' level in telling them what they can do differently or what they should stick to doing.

Each of the three has her own support system in getting through the injuries.

"My support comes from God and my grandmother," Barnes said. "My grandma has kept me motivated and won't let me get down about my situation. She has made me realize and believe that I will come back strong."

"My mother has been there for me through it all," Thagard said. "She has always been proud of me no matter what and has never given up on me."

"My family and my boyfriend Jay Lindsay have been my support system," Hardy said, "as well as the team and coaches. They have all been very important to my recovery. They always help to encourage me and keep me positive about coming back."

Sophomore Teyawna Hardy was able to play in her first career game as a Catamount versus Wofford on Dec. 30 before she injured her foot again.

The basketball program at Western has done so much for so many people. All three said that they have made so many great friends that they hope to keep for the rest of their lives. It's like a family away from home, which means a lot to them being away from their hometowns. The group has also learned a lot about themselves, basketball and life on their own. They are additionally very grateful to have the chance to go to school and to not just have a job, but a career after school.

These three Lady Cats are a vital part of the team, even if they aren't able to make a difference on the court physically at this time. They always encourage the team to do their best on and off the court to try to get the team to work together. All three have at least one more chance at another season at WCU and hope they can be strong and healthy and able to lead the freshman class coming in next year.

Story by Jamie Feingold and Rebecca Vick