Lauren’s story: Bouncing back from serious injury to make history

Lauren Whittaker has the world at her feet.

The 17-year-old from St Andrews College in Christchurch has just arrived home after one of the best experiences of her life, which reaffirmed her dream of playing basketball at the highest level.

Lauren was selected as the sole New Zealand representative for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp in Las Vegas – the first women’s-only BWB camp ever held.

“I had to pinch myself every day that I was having that experience,” she says. 

“To be in Vegas on an all-expenses-paid trip, it was the stuff that dreams are made of. It was next level.”

But Lauren almost missed the invitation. The email from the NBA went to her spam folder and she only came across it by chance.

“I saw the invite and I couldn’t believe it. It was so exciting and such an honour to be in that company.”

Operated by the NBA, WNBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the BWB Global Camp brought 38 of the top female school-age prospects from 24 countries to Las Vegas, Nevada for this event, which was held last month at Doral Academy as part of the WNBA All-Star 2023 weekend.

The campers were coached by former WNBA and FIBA players and coaches, who led them through a variety of activities, including anthropometric and athletic testing, movement efficiency, skill development stations, shooting and skills competitions, life skills seminars and five-on-five games.

Lauren says her biggest take out from the experience was gaining confidence.

“Believe in yourself. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, everyone has their own story,” she says.

“Going in there I was pretty nervous, I was with some of the best players in the world. I reminded myself to back my ability and all of the training I’ve put in over the years. I deserved to be there.”

Lauren playing for the Canterbury Wildcats basketball team.

Bouncing back from a devasting injury

It’s been a rollercoaster 12 months for the New Zealand rep.

The 6’3” (192cm) centre suffered a devastating Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury last year, which cost her a place in the U-17 women’s national team that competed at the FIBA Asian Championships in Jordan.

She felt her knee pop and was in a lot of pain but had no idea how bad it was.

“I was pretty surprised when the doctor told me I’d torn my ACL and would be out for a long time. I didn’t want to believe it.”  

It took Lauren 10 months to fully recover from her injury. It was a grind.

“It was hard to go back to square one. You’re there sitting on the table trying to get basic movement back, so you need to be really patient,” she says.

Lauren fully committed herself to her rehab. In her words, she became best friends with the leg press and the leg extension machines. 

“It was a big challenge, learning how to walk again, and making slow progress to start with,” she says.

“I had a lot of people say to me, ‘Make sure you do your rehab properly because you don’t want to do it again. If you cut any corners you will pay for that later on’.”

Lauren in hospital after tearing her ACL.

Getting back on court

After months of hard work, Lauren was finally ready to lace up her shoes and get back on the court.

“It was really scary,” she says.

She can still remember her first game back with her school team, all she could think about was reinjuring her knee.

“I knew I was ready, but it was a big step, and you always have that doubt in the back of your mind coming back from a major injury.”

But with every moment came more confidence and Lauren was straight back into action. Her first tournament back was the U-19 nationals, in which she represented Canterbury at home at MainPower Stadium.

Canterbury won the tournament and Lauren was named Most Valuable Player (MVP). The next day she was invited to attend the BWB Global Camp.

“It’s definitely been a whirlwind since coming back,” she says.

“I’m really grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given. Getting to test yourself compared to other girls in the world is such a cool opportunity.”

Lauren says her time away from basketball renewed her perspective.

Her advice to younger players is to enjoy the game and she often needs to remember that as well. 

“When you go through the levels, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to make teams or winning championships but the main thing is enjoying the game,” she says.

“You have to remember why you started playing the game. Know your why – that’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year. That’s the foundation for everything.”

Lauren leaving hospital following her ACL injury.

Following in her family’s footsteps

Lauren will be going back to the United States in December. She has been awarded a basketball scholarship for four years at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. 

She follows in the footsteps of her siblings. Her older sister Charlotte, 22, is on a basketball scholarship at Colorado University while her older brother Mason, 21, is also on a basketball scholarship at the American University in Washington, D.C.

“I’ve watched my brother and sister go through the US college pathway and it’s something I’ve wanted since I was five-years-old and first started playing basketball. So to see them achieve and know it’s possible is great for my confidence.”

She says her recent experience with the BWB has given her more motivation to try to get to that level.

“I’ve always had a goal of playing in the WNBA and to play for the Tall Ferns and, with the setback last year with the injury, I started to question that a little bit,” she says.

“Now I’m back, and am getting opportunities that align with my big goal, it helps confirm that dream is within reach.”

Forming good habits

Lauren performs the ACC SportSmart warm-up every time she trains and plays. It’s been a huge part of her getting back on the court with confidence.

“I don’t have a lot of knee pain at all when I’m playing and that’s due to my warm-up. That’s all part of my process now.”

ACC recently announced we will invest $340,000 into Basketball New Zealand over the next 18 months to reduce injuries and protect players. The programme will be modelled on the highly-regarded ACC SportSmart neuromuscular programme.

Every year, ACC accepts over 20,000 new claims for basketball-related injuries. These injuries come at a cost of over $20 million to help people recover and the numbers are increasing.

“This partnership will definitely help players’ confidence, just knowing there is that support there,” Lauren says. 

ACC injury prevention partner Nicola Wilson says it’s great to welcome basketball to the stable of national sports organisations we partner with to keep people active and enjoying their sport.

“We know basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Aotearoa,” she says.

“They have over 100,000 registered players and have experienced significant growth in the past 10 years. It’s great to align with them and develop a programme that’s going to help us reduce the incidence and severity of injuries in the game.”

Lauren encourages all players to form good habits early in their basketball careers.

“Invest in your body,” she says.

“Put as much effort in around strength and conditioning as you do on the basketball court. The work you do off the court sets you up to play the game for the long term.”

Basketball NZ Injury Prevention Programme

• Basketball is the fourth-largest contributor of sports injuries in New Zealand.
• Every year, we accept over 20,000 new claims for basketball-related injuries at a cost of over $20 million.
• We’re investing $340,000 into Basketball NZ over the next 18 months to help prevent injuries.
• The programme will be modelled on the ACC SportSmart neuromuscular programme.