With a basketball at her hip, Silverdale Baptist Academy senior forward Laney Bone stood next to coach Victor Underwood as they watched the Lady Seahawks go to work in Monday’s practice.
Heartbreak struck for Bone and the team in November when she tore an ACL in the season opener. At the time, her knee injury looked like a devastating loss for the Lady Seahawks, who had to proceed without the on-court presence of the 6-foot Bone, who has 1,300 points in her high school career and averaged 22 points, 11.5 rebounds and a pair of blocks and steals each per game last season.
While being without Bone in games has been disappointing for Silverdale, Underwood’s team has played inspired basketball after an 0-2 start, finding ways to step up for the sidelined Lady Seahawks star. And despite the major letdown Bone experienced when she was injured days after signing with the University of Buffalo, she has had a blast being part of what appears to be a special season.
Silverdale has won nine of its past 10 games and is 16-5 since the back-to-back losses to open the schedule.
“I just love seeing them play together,” Bone said. “I see amazing leadership among my fellow seniors in everything they do. Since I am not out there playing, I try to encourage them and push them as much as I can. It brings joy to me to see how they have come together and played so well.”