Donovyn Hunter is one of the 2023 stars in the women’s basketball world, but she’ll be forced to miss her first year of high school basketball.
A torn ACL will cost the incoming South Medford (Oregon) High School student her freshman season.
When Hunter attempted a layup in practice, her knee grinded against that of a defender, she told KDRV. She went down and was initially told it was sprained.
But an MRI confirmed a torn ACL. She underwent surgery in early June to repair damage to the ACL and meniscus, according to KDRV.
This will put one of the rising stars on hold for the foreseeable future, as recovery time is typically between nine months and a year and a half.
While still in the seventh grader, Hunter had been scouted by NCAA Div. 1 programs including Louisville, Stanford, Oregon and Oregon State, according to KDRV.
Even at the time, she showed prodigious ball handling skills and had to be told to “limit” herself during game action while attending Hedrick Middle School (Medford, Oregon).
Now, she’ll have to wait for even longer before she can unleash her true talents on the high school rank.
Hunter has already competed against higher levels than middle school, including playing on the championship-winning Northwest Blazers’ tenth-grade team for the 2018 AAU Best in the West Basketball Tournament.
There’s no shortage of young stars in high school right now. Last year’s ALL-USA Player of the Year, Azzi Fudd, was a sophomore, and two other 2021 players made an ALL-USA Team.
But the high school world will be missing Fudd as well, who tore her ACL and MCL.
We’ll be waiting for the two stars, rehabbing from similar injuries, to get back to the court.
