Taken away.
That’s it. Taken from her.
The love and passion of game was suddenly taken away from Kylee Speedy last season when she went down to injury during an Atlantic University Sport women’s basketball conference game with her University of New Brunswick Reds.
Not just any injury, either.
Her right Anterior Cruciate Ligament and medial meniscus, both fully torn. A partial tear of her Medial Collateral Ligament.
For someone who brings so much joy to the game, the injuries were a crushing blow to the Fredericton resident, who starred with the Leo Hayes High Lions before making the jump to UNB.
‘Everything that has been involved from the injury to now has probably been the toughest challenge of my life, both physically and mentally,’ said Speedy. ‘I live and breathe basketball. Losing it so suddenly was incredibly hard.’
The injury happened during game action on Feb. 10. She was on a two-on-one break with a teammate, passed the ball for an anticipated assist and her foot simply planted wrong.
A play she’s made hundreds of times suddenly turned on her.
Sadly, Speedy has watched teammates, friends and opponents succumb to similar injuries.
She knew right away.
‘I knew instantly when I went down that it was serious and then waiting for MRI results was stressful,’ she said. ‘One of my biggest fears has always been tearing my ACL because of how long the recovery is and how long you have to be out of basketball. I wasn’t surprised when it was my ACL, but it took weeks to fully grasp the impact of my career.’
Speedy was in her third season with UNB, where she plays a key role as an emotional leader, bringing with her an arsenal of offence.
She has appeared in 51 games with the Reds, averaging 11.2 points per game and has amassed 82 assists. Speedy has knocked down 94 three-pointers on a remarkable 259 bids from beyond the arc and is 110-for-128 from the free throw line.
Those numbers were missed down the stretch with UNB in its bid to win an AUS title, eventually falling to eventual champion Saint Mary’s University Huskies of Halifax in the final.
Speedy has also played with the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association’s Fredericton Freeze when she suited up in 2023. She was part of the original Freeze team in 2022, but suffered a foot injury that kept her sidelined. Speedy was able to remain with the Freeze this season, working as part of the coaching staff with head coach Kevin Daley and associate coaches Ashley Smith and Anthony Ashe.
In fact, Speedy holds the single-season Freeze record for points in a game with 34.
She underwent surgery in early April. Her ACL was reconstructed using a graft from her quadriceps while repairing her meniscus and MCL.
Not for the faint of heart whether you’ve had the surgeries or not.
‘My recovery is progressing, though it could be better,’ Speedy said. ‘I’ve been dealing with limited range of motion due to how everything healed, so I’ll likely undergo a minor surgery in September to remove some scar tissue. I believe after this I will see a lot more progress. It’s been a slow journey, but I’ve celebrated small victories along the way.’
She spent six weeks in a full leg brace, using crutches, but she can now walk, lift weights, bike, and started doing some form shooting and ball handling on the court, which ‘feels great,’ she said.
‘Once I was able to come to terms with everything, I knew rehabilitation would be something I would strive for and take very seriously,’ she said. ‘I committed to rehabilitation wholeheartedly. The hours I’ve put into my recovery have already made me stronger, physically, and mentally. This experience will strengthen my appreciation for basketball. I will come out tougher and stronger.’
Speedy also found time to coach other teams this summer, working with the Junior Reds program and Basketball New Brunswick’s under-16 girls’ program.
She had to stay in the game somehow.
‘Coaching this spring and summer has been incredibly rewarding,’ she said. ‘I’ve always been interested in coaching with BNB, so assistant coaching was an awesome experience. Head coaching an under-13 Junior Reds team was another great opportunity and was very valuable. Coaching BNB, Junior Reds and helping with the Freeze has kept me connected to basketball, despite being unable to play. It’s been a learning experience. I’ve found joy in sharing my knowledge and impacting the game from a different perspective. These coaching opportunities wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been injured, so there’s definitely been a silver lining that I am very grateful for.’
If Speedy had a nickel for every time she’s been asked how things are progressing, well, she’d have a pile of nickels.
She was originally told a nine to 12-month recovery. Person that she is, Speedy wanted the nine- month target. Realistically, she’s looking at 12 months, forcing her to miss the entire 2024-25 AUS season for Reds’ head coach, Erin McAleenan and her staff.
‘I’m taking it one step at a time and focusing on steady progress,’ she said. ‘A return date is uncertain.’
She has certainly leaned on plenty of people.
Her father Jeff was UNB’s long-time women’s basketball head coach, her mother Linda is a constant source of communication and help and her brother Brett also played at the AUS level and was there for those difficult moments.
Speedy has also become close to Fredericton’s Addie Mombourquette.
Mombourquette, six-foot wing from Fredericton, appeared in two UNB games last season before tearing her ACL.
‘This journey has really been a personal and solo grind, where I’ve relied on self-motivation and staying positive, but Addie also underwent ACL surgery early this past season and has been a significant source of support for me,’ Speedy said. ‘We’ve been able to lean on each other, relate to each other, and support each other. Her experience with this injury has allowed me to ask her questions. She helps and checks in with me daily.’
It has indeed been a grind.
Take away something you love, regardless of what it is and that void can be difficult to fill.
You can coach, cheer on your friends and teammates, work out, find some new hobbies, but nothing takes the place of playing.
Nothing.
‘Basketball is my passion, it’s a major part of my life and nothing brings me as much joy and fulfillment as basketball,’ Speedy said. ‘I miss everything about it. The competition, game days, playing alongside friends on the court, and simply shooting the ball. The gym has always been my second home, so not being there has been a significant adjustment. I deeply miss that environment. There is nothing more fun than playing in a basketball game, so I cannot wait until I can do that again.’
She does know one thing for sure.
There will be a day when she is cleared to practice, cleared to play.
Cleared to re-join the Reds and hearing the ball sail through mesh and for UNB. Perhaps a return to the Freeze and the MWBA.
Those who know Speedy certainly know her will and determination.
Rust will not grow on her as she yearns to get back to her second home, first love of sport.
– Kylee Speedy in action with Fredericton Freeze (DWinston Photo)