Things were looking up for Naperville North sophomore Ava Podkasik until she broke the pinky on her shooting hand during a game on Dec. 7.
It was an unwelcome new experience for the 5-foot-8 forward.
“That was my first break,” Podkasik said. “It was definitely a big roadblock for me. This season was a big one for me.”
With her finger in a splint, Podkasik missed a month of action, and her teammates shared in her pain. Naperville North won that game against York but went 2-7 in her absence.
As tough as it was for the Huskies to play without Podkasik, it was mentally difficult for her.
“My coaches really helped me rise through it,” she said. “They kept me positive along with my teammates. They all had my back, and they told me I was going to be fine.”
Podkasik did everything she could to help the Huskies during her recovery.
“It’s definitely going to take a while for me to get back in my rhythm that I was in,” she said. “But I’m working hard at practice every day trying to get back in the routine, and I’m just trying to be the best teammate that I can be.
“Like when I was out, that’s all that mattered. I brought energy every day, and I was there for my teammates.”
That effort impressed Naperville North coach Aly Miller.
“She brings a lot off the floor, just as much as she does on the floor,” Miller said. “Even though she’s young, a lot of girls look to her as a leader just by her performance and effort that she always gives.
“It’s something girls respect, and they look to her for guidance. Obviously, we missed that when she was out, but she also kind of gave us guidance in a different way, was almost an assistant coach for us in practice and games.”
Podkasik returned to action Jan. 10 and had eight points and six rebounds as the host Huskies nearly upset Waubonsie Valley.
In her second game back on Tuesday, she was held scoreless in the Huskies’ 55-49 loss at Wheaton North, attempting only three shots, but she did have eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“I was trying to look for my teammates because I didn’t have a good feeling about my shots tonight with my finger still coming back,” Podkasik said. “I felt like I played fine, but definitely not the best I could have.
“Defensively, I got beat a lot. I was slow in transition getting back, but I really tried to do my best with rebounds because that was one of our main focuses.”
The loss was the fifth straight for the Huskies (7-11), who rallied from a 13-point deficit. Podkasik assisted on junior guard Natalie Frempong’s go-ahead 3-pointer that gave Naperville North a 42-40 lead with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter and also set up Frempong for another 3-pointer that pulled the Huskies within 51-49 with 17 seconds to go. Frempong finished with 23 points.
“She’s really important,” Frempong said of Podkasik. “She’s kind of like the glue to our team.
“She’s always looking for the glass, always rebounding. She’s always doing those extra plays that we need — at great times too. She just understands basketball very well.”
Podkasik’s understanding grew over the past month.
“Obviously, an injury is never great, but the silver lining is I think she kind of got to see things from an outsider’s perspective as opposed to being on the court,” Miller said. “She learned a lot about the game and what we’re trying to accomplish.
“She was able to coach girls up on what she was seeing, and I think that’s only going to help her moving forward.”
Miller said it will probably take several more games for Podkasik to regain her shooting touch. But Frempong said Podkasik’s other skills are in top form.
“On defense, she’s really good at having her hands up high,” Frempong said. “She’s always hungry for the ball, and I think that’s definitely a key to our team, is being aggressive and hungry for the ball.”
The Huskies are hungry for victories. Podkasik said those are coming.
“I feel like we just have to keep working hard at practice every day, give 100% effort, and we’ll be winning these close games because they’re basically there,” she said.
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
