Basketball: Brown battles back from injuries to lead Lady Cards

Farmington High School's Kaylee Brown suffered two ACL injuries in her freshman and sophomore seasons, but has returned to the Lady Cardinals' lineup as a senior healthy and ready to lead the team on a successful run through the 5A-West Conference this year.
Farmington High School's Kaylee Brown suffered two ACL injuries in her freshman and sophomore seasons, but has returned to the Lady Cardinals' lineup as a senior healthy and ready to lead the team on a successful run through the 5A-West Conference this year.

FARMINGTON -- Kaylee Brown defines the power of persistence.

Brown, a 5-foot-9 senior forward at Farmington, found things difficult enough when she was forced to recover from one anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in her freshman season.

At A Glance

Kaylee Brown

SCHOOL Farmington

CLASS Senior

HEIGHT 5-9

POSITION Forward

NOTABLE Suffered a season-ending ACL knee injury in her freshman season and another ACL injury on her other knee in her sophomore season. … Has returned from both injuries to average 10 points, five rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals this season.

On The Web

For more on Kaylee Brown, see the video at nwadg.com and arpreps.com.

Then came her second ACL injury on the other knee just as she was recovering from the first major injury. The second knee injury sidelined her late in her sophomore season.

For many basketball players, two ACL injuries pretty much means the end to a career.

Brown, through hard work and determination, has shown she's more than capable of dealing with adversity.

"I went from wanting to help Kaylee get to the next level to I just wanted to see her have success and come back and be a part of it," Farmington girls basketball coach Brad Johnson said. "But her goals never changed, and she has far exceeded what I probably would have thought coming back from the second injury."

Brown was highly touted in the Farmington girls' basketball program as a point guard before the two injuries occurred. After rehabilitating both knees over the course of two different seasons, she had to switch her game as she moved to the forward position by her junior year.

The switch in position wasn't the only adjustment, as Brown had to fight through the mental battle of an ACL injury not just once, but twice before returning to the lineup as a junior.

"The first injury I really didn't know what it was because I was just a freshman," Brown said. "Then when it happened back-to-back in my sophomore year, that was tough.

"But I had a lot of help. I was in the training room every single day and I had the support of my team and they helped push me through.

"I think the first injury I didn't take as seriously. And then the second (ACL) I really took more seriously and I knew basketball was what I wanted to do. I was down to playing just one sport after the second one and I really wanted to get back and help the team."

Brown averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a junior, while still making her way completely back from the two ACL injuries.

This season, though, Brown is showing no leftover effects of the injuries and is playing some of the best basketball during her days as a Lady Cardinal.

Through 14 games, Brown is averaging 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals and leads Farmington in charges taken.

"She's having an outstanding year, an outstanding year," Johnson said. "She was really close to having a triple-double in Mountain Home this year and she's done it changing positions.

"But it's been the best thing ever because she's a tremendous inside-outside threat now. So it's kind of unique, because sometimes the trials we face make us what we are today."

Brown hopes to help Farmington to a deep run in the Class 5A postseason in her final season with the Lady Cardinals. Win or lose in the end this season, her message to anyone who has dealt with injuries such as hers is clear -- keep battling.

"Push through," Brown said. "Don't let people say you can't do something because you can. Just push through and always think what the team needs.

"Just push through and be great."

Sports on 01/10/2017

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