Jayda Clark to miss WNBL season with ACL injury
UC Capitals guard, Jayda Clark, will miss the 2024/25 WNBL season as she recovers from rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
The 19-year-old sustained the injury on 28 March, in the opening round of her NBL1 West campaign with the Perry Lakes Hawks and underwent surgery on 29 April.
Six months on and Jayda is excited to have reached the halfway mark of her 10-12 month rehabilitation.
“It’s been a tough process but the more I complete in my rehab, the more confident I get. I still have some really hard days, but seeing progression in strength and ticking off new milestones gets more and more exciting,” she said.
With no major setbacks so far, Jayda is about to start the next phase of her recovery which involves change of direction as she works towards getting back on court.
“I love when I’m able to progress into new a new phase. Rehab is an extremely repetitive process, so when I can start doing new things it definitely boosts my mood.
“Now that I’m nearly past the six-month mark, everything starts to move a bit quicker, so I’m super keen to get moving more and more on court,” she said.
Initially coming to terms with her first major injury was a tough challenge for Jayda, but she is now focused on being not only physically, but also mentally prepared for her return.
“I think just getting past the initial stage of shock and devastation takes a little bit of time. Once you can start seeing progress in the physical side of it and being able to move it more and more every day, things slowly become easier. It’s a slow process but knowing it gets better every day is a small win.”
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Playing NBL1 in Perth, Jayda was fortunate to have family with her at the time of injury and also had a support from former Caps teammate Gemma Potter, who happened to be visiting Western Australia.
“It was very nice to have Gemma there as she’s gone through it twice. It’s nice knowing I have someone to lean on when I’m unsure about anything. She’s been so supportive and been checking in with me a lot, and I’m super grateful to have her in my corner throughout this rehab journey,” Jayda said.
While she won’t be taking to the court this season, Jayda will still be involved with the Caps across the season and will be making the trip from Perth to Canberra at a later date to continue her rehab with the team.
“I’m looking forward to being back in a team environment, being able to get around the girls when they play and getting to train with them at the pointy end of the season. The group is looking great, and I’m keen to see what they can do this year,” Jayda said.
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