Women’s basketball star player Haylee Andrews tore her ACL at a crucial moment of the season.
Andrews was injured during the game against BYU on Feb. 3. She intends to get surgery as soon as possible and is hoping to recover in time for next season.
Her absence is a big setback as the team looks ahead at both the end of the season and the WCC tournament in Las Vegas. Not only was it disappointing for the team, it was devastating to Andrews as well.
“It’s the worst an athlete could ask for,” Andrews wrote in a post on her Instagram.
Her post featured a picture of her playing against BYU and a picture of her in the training room at the Chiles Center after her injury.
Andrews made her mark on Pilot basketball in 2020 with two impressive last-minute plays in games against Gonzaga in the semi-finals and then again against San Diego to take the game to overtime where the Pilots won.
COVID-19 shut down the NCAA tournament that year, ending Portland’s run.
Last year the Pilots were bumped out of the tournament early, losing 56-74 to LMU.
The women’s team is now on the road for three games in California to play San Francisco on Feb. 17, Santa Clara on Feb. 19, and Saint Mary’s on Feb. 21. Andrews is still traveling with the team despite her season-ending injury.
The team is getting ready to play in the WCC tournament Mar. 3-8.
Under the coaching of Michael Meek, the team has performed well with a record of 16-6 overall and 6-4 in conference play. Andrews’ injury has pushed Meek to rethink the team’s playing strategy.
“I think we’re starting to regroup a little bit,” Meek said. “Our goal right now is to try to finish in the top four. We have a lot of players that were still a part of that (2020 WCC championship) and I think they’re really hoping for an opportunity to do it.”
Wilder Isom is a Sports Reporter for the Beacon. She can be reached at isomw24@up.edu.
