Oldude, as always, I appreciate your post, but I want to stand up for Fairfield Fan. I don't think that Fairfield Fan's comments are "doom & gloom." They are just stating the obvious. There is a range of outcomes from this type of injury, despite improvements in care, and some people on the BY, not just Fairfield Fan, are concerned about that. Fairfield Fan, who is rooting for Paige, is voicing that concern. Nothing wrong with that.
As for me, faced with the uncertainty of her future, I remain optimistic. I believe in the powers of Paige.
I absolutely agree with your comment that “there is a range of outcomes from this type of injury.” That sentiment was not something remotely suggested in the post I responded to. Hence my suggestion that doom & gloom serves no useful purpose.
There are a significant number of athletes who have successfully recovered from ACL tears. Let’s offer them up as examples of Paige’s potential recovery rather than listing those who could not make it all the way back.
I mentioned Sue Bird. Here’s a partial list of additional top athletes who have successfully recovered from ACL surgery: Tom Brady, JJ Watt, Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater, Kendrick Perkins, Kyle Lowry, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Skylar Diggins, Candace Parker, Gabby Williams and Seimone Agustus. There are hundreds of additional athletes with similar experiences.
A special note on Megan Rapinoe. She suffered 3 ACL tears, the last of which occurred in 2015 at the age of 30. Despite her age Rapinoe fully recovered to become the star of USA’s World Cup Championship team that won the gold medal in 2019 as well as the Olympic team that won the bronze in 2020.
Right now I don’t want to hear about all the athletes that didn’t make it back from surgery. When Paige decides she’s done, then I’ll accept it as a fact. Until that happens I will continue to be optimistic that she will return to play basketball, better than ever.