Mombourquette Working On Return
(FREDERICTON, NB) “I knew right away that something was wrong.”
Addie Mombourquette’s first season as a member of the UNB REDS’ women’s basketball team ended almost as soon as it began.
On September 30th, 2023, late in the first half of just her second pre-season game, making a quick change in direction while playing defence, the 6’0” wing fell to the floor after injuring her right knee.
“I was moving laterally and had planted my right foot to stop,” said Mombourquette. “I turned at the same time. That’s when I felt and heard a distinct pop and snap in my knee. I fell back and landed on the same knee, folded underneath me.”
Mombourquette suffered a complete tear of her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and three separate tears of her Meniscus.
Just the day before, her REDS debut had gone as good as could’ve been expected.
A heralded recruit, Mombourquette played 19 minutes in the REDS’ exhibition season opener, scoring seven points, grabbing a couple of rebounds and adding an assist and a steal.
Even that second game was going well… until.
“I remember when Addie went down thinking that this can’t be good,” said REDS’ head coach Erin McAleenan. “She wasn’t getting up, I knew it was likely worst-case scenario, as Addie is a tough athlete who would usually bounce back up quickly. I had to flip the switch pretty quickly in that situation to get the team refocused and try to be optimistic, but in the back of my mind I knew it was likely going to be her ACL.”
So, what should’ve been her rookie Atlantic University Sport season turned into weeks of visits to doctors’ offices and waiting for surgery, then months of recovering from surgery and rehabilitation.
It hasn’t been easy.
“I don’t think I fully understood what it meant until I was sitting out the first couple of practices and realizing I wasn’t going to get the opportunity to play,” said Mombourquette.
She had surgery in November.
Her ACL was reconstructed and the tears in her Meniscus were repaired or removed.
“Time doesn’t go by fast when you’re watching from the sidelines,” she said. “The recovery, following the surgery, was really tough. Missing road trips was tough. I was happy to get to cheer on my team through the screen, but obviously, I wished I could’ve been with them instead.”
As time went by, Mombourquette’s recovery became her rehabilitation.
It began in February, simply, with nothing more than light shooting, but it put her back on the court.
Later, jumping was added to those simple shooting drills and then more dynamic drills.
In May, Mombourquette began taking part in non-contact on-court workouts.
“I was way more excited than nervous, but the nerves were still there,” she recalls. “Things still felt like they were healing but having the door starting to open with the opportunity to do more on-court stuff felt awesome.”
“It’s started to feel a little normal again,” she added. “I’m not only working on basketball, I’m learning to navigate the new normal and how to move on the court again, and trusting my knee.”
Coach McAleenan has been watching Mombourquette’s return to action and is liking what she’s seeing.
“It’s been amazing to have Addie start to progress back on the court with the team,” she said. “Having her back in some non-contact drills we can already see her ability to pass with both hands and hit her teammates right where they want the ball. Addie shoots the ball well on catch and shoots and can attack the basket and use her length to score in different ways, so it’s been nice to see that back on the court too.”
Mombourquette and the REDS begin their 2024-25 season on the road, at Cape Breton, in early November.
Her rehabilitation will continue throughout the summer, ahead of the REDS’ training camp and their exhibition season.
“When I try to picture myself playing in a game, I’ve just been thinking back to the pre-season games that I got to play,” she said. “Being out on the floor and how exciting it felt to be on the court with a brand-new team. Looking ahead, it’s hard to picture what it would look like playing again. I think that piece will come once I get back into some live play on the court and getting a feel for it again will give me a better idea.”
“Being able to look forward to something and to work harder towards something has made rehab a lot easier.”
As difficult as the experience has been, Mombourquette says there’s been time for reflection and feels there has been growth.
She says the support she’s seen from family, friends, coaches, teammates, and others, has been inspiring.
“What I’ve learned about myself through my recovery is a lot about self-motivation,” she said. “There are lots of people who can help and support you, but ultimately, it’s up to you to take care of yourself and put the work, time, and effort in. For me, having the goal to be ready to go for the coming season is something that lets me know what work I need to be doing so I’m set to go when that time rolls around.”
For Coach McAleenan, Mombourquette’s return provides her with a talented student-athlete who, despite not actually playing last season, comes with a season’s worth of experience and growth.
Still, McAleenan says they won’t be in a hurry and that Mombourquette will help determine what happens and when.
“Addie and I have spoken about how we see her having a big role in this program over her career, but we’re sticking to the rehab plan and not rushing her back,” she said. “We can’t wait to have her back on the court, because she can influence the game in a variety of ways at both ends of the floor. Most importantly we want her to feel confident with her knee on the court. Once that is established, we will continue to grow her role.”
STORY AND PHOTO BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics