With the Playoff picture hanging in the balance, Sacramento Monarchs All-Star Rebekkah Brunson had to make a difficult decision -- fight through the pain of a stress fracture and lateral meniscus tear, or opt for surgery. Well aware that either choice would impact the Monarchs postseason hopes, Brunson opted for surgery.

It was a tough choice, but the right choice.

On the morning of August 6, Brunson underwent surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in her right knee, and while stress fractures are not as easy to treat -- the best method is simply rest -- the surgery helped Brunson with both ailments.

"The knee feels good," Brunson said. "It’s been acting the way it’s supposed to. The stress fracture is taking its time, it’s going a little slow but right now it feels good.

"I started off slow doing a lot of quad stuff, a lot of hamstring work," Brunson continued, detailing her recovery program. "Now I’m lifting regularly, just trying to make sure the quads are as strong as possible to support the knee."

If Chelsea Newton's daily recoveries from the abuse she withstands on a game-by-game basis and DeMya Walker's speedy recovery from two major surgeries are any indication that the Monarchs are a resilient bunch, it should be no surprise Brunson, the ever-active fifth-year forward, is itching to get back on the court to help her team.

But, is she recovered?

Twenty-seven days after surgery, Brunson was back on the practice court on Tuesday, so the answer is seemingly, yes. And unharmed by the previous day's workout, she returned to practice on Wednesday, where she eagerly discussed the possibility of playing against Phoenix. If she plays, it will be her first game since her nine-minute run on July 27 in Seattle.

"I want to play in Phoenix. That’s when I’m hoping to play," Brunson said. "Right now, I feel like I’m capable."

Brunson isn't the only person who sounds hopeful that she could return to the lineup soon. Monarchs head coach Jenny Boucek shares Brunson's optimism and says player-coach communication, along with a trusting medical staff, is essential to ensure a player doesn't return to action too soon.

"She looks really good for having been out over a month, which is not easy," Boucek said. "It’s not easy in our system especially, because our system is so interdependent and we rely so much on one another.

"Rebekkah is in the process of getting (re-acclimated with it), I’m sure. But she does some things naturally that, even if some of her game is still coming back in the process, she can help us just innately."

With only five games remaining and every team in the Western Conference still in the postseason picture, Boucek says dealing with injuries is expected. But unlike other teams, the Monarchs depth gives them breathing room when the unfortunate occurs.

"We’re not built around any one or two players that other teams might be," Boucek said. "If one player goes down, two players go down, and they’ve built a team around those players, they’re in trouble. We don’t function that way. We’re a sum of all our parts, and that can soften the blow a little bit because we’re not relying on any one player to do everything, offensively or defensively. We’re very much a team that consciously develops our depth and our bench."

Two of the most significant contributors off the bench for the Monarchs this season have been rookies Laura Harper and Crystal Kelly. And if it's noticeable that each has played with more confidence as the season has progressed, it's at least partially due to Brunson's positive reinforcement.

"I just try to keep them positive and try to encourage them," Brunson said smiling. "It’s easy to put your head down when you can’t get to the things you’re used to getting, or everything’s not going your way or everything’s not flowing the way you want to. But I just try to encourage them and tell them to keep going because they’re good and talented. We need them to be mentally tough if we’re going to continue to play throughout the Playoffs, and I just let them know that they’re a key part of this team."

So even though Brunson was absent for a day short of a month's time, she's mended and confident, and even more importantly, breeding confidence in her teammates. From Boucek's perspective, Brunson's maturity on and off the court continues to impress her.

"She’s grown tremendously as a woman and a leader," Boucek said glowingly. "First of all, her basketball IQ grew a lot last year. So now she’s not only learned the game, but she’s also grown up in really taking heart and has the confidence to teach the other players what to do. So she’s becoming a leader for us, and that's a recent thing, within the past couple of years."

Recovered and rearing to get back on the court, Brunson now looks to lead the Monarchs back to the Playoffs. And if toughness is any indication of postseason success, the team's postseason run looks promising.