Waiting to sub in a tournament game over the holiday break in 2022, Nylah Loukides sat anxiously, ready to accept her role and do her part for the team. What she didn’t expect would be a defining moment in her basketball career. Loukides catches the ball amidst a fast break and one wrong movement tore her ACL.
Freshman Nylah was not a starter but her impact was already felt on the score sheet. According to her coach Gabrielle Gilson, she was quickly becoming the team’s standout player averaging a double-double with over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.
“If she stays healthy that year, no doubt we could’ve made a playoff run,” Gilson said, reflecting on the massive hole her absence left in the lineup.
While she got playing time and enjoyed basketball, she was not fully confident this was the sport she wanted to continue to play at the collegiate level. The injury, ironically, would provide the answer she is looking for.
Loukides had ACL repair surgery on Jan. 9, 2023, and began physical therapy one week later. She also focused on lower-body lifting to regain strength and muscle. She knew there was physical pain, but that was only half of the battle. The rest was mental.
“If I’m not strong when I come back, then I’m not gonna be confident,” Loukides said.
In her eyes, if she did not work hard to be strong when she got back, she would lack the faith in herself in the game.
However, the court of the very game she previously wasn’t sure she wanted to play, had become the only place she wanted to be. Nylah still participated in everything she could, and became her team’s biggest cheerleader.
“She continued to travel to all games and attend all practices, watching and helping coach from the sidelines,” Gilson noted. “She became another coach for us on the bench and a motivator to her teammates.”
The road back was long and difficult. During her recovery, Loukides struggled with almost a sense of depression while being unable to participate in the sport she realized she had a passion for. However, she refused to stay away from the gym.
“Basketball is what I love to do so not being able to do that for a while… nine months just sucked so bad,” Loukides said.
Her father provided crucial support during her recovery. He would go on runs with her while she was trying to rebuild her endurance. After nine months of intense rehab, she was eager to get back on the court and to see if she was still the same player she was before the injury.
The Nylah who returned was not only a physically-better player but also mentally sharper. Through the darkness of her injury she realized basketball was her calling. Her time away didn’t kill her spirit, it strengthened it.
“Tearing my ACL made me realize this is what I want to do,” Loukides said. “Not just play, but be great at it.”
The time away from the court changed her mindset, leading her approach to every practice with a new intensity. She no longer played with a lack of confidence, but like a player who knew where she belonged.
Her hard work paid off: during her junior season she was named AHSAA Region Athlete of the Week.
“This whole injury transformed my life,” Loukides said. “From then to now, I feel like a different person for sure—for the better.”
