Augustus Putting Injuries Behind Her
by Ashley Kastenholz
Lynx Writer
Seimone Augustus has had high expectations put upon her from the start of her basketball career. Proving to others that she has what it takes has been a long journey for the 6-0 shooting guard. Despite her devastating injury last season and a scary surgery that set her back mid-record climb, she has once again proven her drive and her All-Star talents this season with the Minnesota Lynx.
Since a young age, Augustus has shown tremendous basketball talent. She has played with five year-old boys since the ripe age of three, was named a WBCA All-American in high school, and even graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for Women by the age 14 with an article entitled “Is She the Next Michael Jordan?” Not surprisingly, many were expecting her to take women’s basketball to a whole new level.
“I knew from that point on it was going to be a lot of pressure; I think a target was put on my back to play up to people's expectations,” Augustus said. “If I didn't have those expectations on my back I probably would have been an average ball player and would have never really met my abilities that everybody expected.”
Augustus, drafted 1st overall in the 2006 WNBA draft by the Lynx, continued to meet her fans' expectations, winning awards such as the Wade Trophy and the Naismith and Wooden Awards in college, and the Rookie of the Year in the WNBA. She even met her childhood dream of playing for the women’s Olympic basketball team and just like Jordan, came home with the gold in 2008. Coming into this year, she also has never finished any lower than third in the WNBA’s scoring race.
Regardless the number of name-dropping awards she has won, for Augustus, it takes more than her record to make a difference. “Even though I have been third or first in scoring, people never paid any attention," said Augustus. “If my team doesn’t win it doesn’t really matter… I want to gain the respect by winning games and helping my team.”
Unfortunately, Augustus’ continuous record setting and award success was put to a halt. In the beginning of the 2009 season, when Minnesota took on the Phoenix Mercury on June 17th, Augustus’s true athleticism was put to the test. After hearing the news of a torn ACL from the doctor, Augustus was shocked.
“You never want to think the worst and you kind of want to have the hope that it's not as bad as it seems, but once he told me I broke down.”
After the grueling rehabilitation, the pressure was on once again to prove she would bounce back and be the leader she was quoted early on to be.
“Once I started rehab and going to the clinic and getting the proper treatment that I needed, I started focusing on my knee and getting back on the court,” said Augustus. If that was not enough, in early May, she had to undergo serious surgery to remove three fibroids in her lower back and stomach. Her resiliency did not go unnoticed by teammates, Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, and fans alike.
The Lynx were in desperate need of a season turnaround when Augustus made her triumphant return June 10, ironically in the same building where she tore her ACL just under a year from then. Returning to the court was not only a feel-good moment for Augustus, but also for her team. In her first home game back, Augustus scored 27 points, brought in five rebounds, and blocked two shots to bring home a much needed win for the Lynx, as they took care of the Tulsa Shock, 78-67. Since her return, Augustus is averaging 18.2 ppg.
“Every game has gotten better. My speed has picked up, I am jumping a lot higher, and mentally I am getting a lot tougher getting back to a higher level of play,” said Augustus.
As the highly anticipated season slips by, the Lynx continue their battle for a playoff position. Now, after some disheartening losses, fans hope that they will start to prove themselves worthy of a playoff position. Augustus, on the other hand, is confident in her team’s future.
So what is her future WNBA career goal?
“I want to break the Houston Comets' record. They have four championships so I am planning on getting five for Minnesota Lynx.”
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