Merrillville senior Vivian McSpadden truly is back this season.
The 5-foot-8 guard suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during each of her freshman and sophomore years. Although McSpadden returned for a full and productive junior season, she has been even sharper in the past three weeks.
“This year is the first year without the brace, the first year really being back strong,” McSpadden said. “That in general has me confident in my game, just having the strength to be playing again after two ACLs and a brace. I’m all clear.”
McSpadden was averaging 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals through four games before the Pirates (4-2) lost twice over the weekend. They open Duneland Athletic Conference play with a game against Valparaiso on Wednesday.
Darian Straughter, in her first season coaching her alma mater, has liked what she has seen from McSpadden.
“This year, it doesn’t even look like anything has ever happened to her,” Straughter said. “From when I first met her until now, I’ve seen a lot of mental growth with her. She has been one of our most vocal leaders. She has been one of our leading scorers so far. She has been having one of the hardest defensive assignments each game so far.
“I believe in her a lot. I believe she can finish the year well for us, and I expect that from her. She tries to push her teammates in the best way she can.”
Merrillville senior guard/forward Kylie Wells plays off of McSpadden.
“She drives the ball in,” Wells said. “It just opens up the defense more. And she’s been taking on hard defensive assignments this year.”
McSpadden averaged 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals last season. She played in four games as a freshman before the first ACL injury, and she averaged 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in nine games as a sophomore before the second ACL injury.
The first time, McSpadden said she made a “slight movement” and thought it was “nothing significant.” The second time, she knew.
“I felt my knee kind of pop, and I said, ‘Not again. Not again,’” McSpadden said. “It felt the same. I had the same symptoms.”
But McSpadden persevered through both injuries.
“Just time, patience, going to physical therapy, just trusting the process,” she said. “The journey’s the destination. I know it’s hard getting back, but I got back. I did it. It was for a purpose. I’m going to keep going until I can’t go no more.”
McSpadden hopes to play basketball in college.
“Playing college basketball, that’s really my ultimate goal,” she said. “I haven’t gotten any offers, so getting an offer would mean a lot to me.”
With another strong season, McSpadden should have opportunities. She has worked to develop her game on and off the court, especially in a compressed time frame.
“My shooting game has gotten better,” McSpadden said. “I’ve been more comfortable shooting. My coaches made the green light for me to shoot the ball; they said it was OK for me to shoot the ball. I got more confident shooting the ball because of them.
“I’m more confident overall because they have a lot of faith in me. That makes me feel like I have a bigger role on the team because of how much faith they have in me.”
McSpadden’s larger role includes being a leader this season.
“I’m being vocal, just trying to push my teammates, just trying to lead by example,” she said. “I’m just trying to be the best teammate I can be.”
