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player ready...Kylie Wells had zero fun. But time did fly.
The 5-foot-10 junior guard has returned for Merrillville after missing most of last season with a torn right Achilles.
“I feel like just yesterday I was injured,” Wells said. “People were telling me it would be over before I knew it, and I just didn’t believe them. I felt like it was going to take so long. But I just tried to focus on other things as much as I could, and they were right.”
Wells posted 12 points, seven rebounds and six steals as the Pirates (2-0) opened this season with a win against Concord on Nov. 11. The performance was a sight for sore eyes for Merrillville coach Kelly Kratz.
“She probably rebounded the best she has,” Kratz said. “She was getting in there. She was being physical. She was passing to her teammates. It was like she didn’t miss a beat, which to me is the biggest compliment you can give her.”
Wells made an immediate impact as a freshman, averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals. Her memorable farewell to a phenomenal debut season was putting up 16 points, five rebounds and two steals as the Pirates pushed star-studded Crown Point to the limit in a sectional final before losing.
Wells was poised for an even bigger sophomore season. But it came to an abrupt end when she suffered the injury in a Duneland Athletic Conference opener against Valparaiso in Merrillville’s sixth game. She averaged 12.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals in that limited time.
“It’s one of those things,” Kratz said. “You don’t hear a ton about a kid tearing their Achilles. You never know why it happens. What you can do is take it super seriously as far as your rehab. Focus on getting stronger in different places on your body.
“Kylie was super strong in her quads, and she had to strengthen her hamstrings. I went with her to a couple of her physical therapy visits, and I saw her push herself in a different way. It was really cool to see. All of those different parts and phases of the rehab and mentally staying with it, she didn’t let up.”
Wells’ return to the court was emotional for Kratz.
“Hearing her name announced and seeing her run out, it was just very special,” Kratz said. “You have to give that kid a lot of credit for the work she’s put in to get back on the court.”
Wells acknowledged there was an element of nervousness in her first game back.
“I definitely had butterflies,” she said. “It was surreal. I felt all of the cheers, so it was different.”
Indeed, Wells was cleared in May — May 5, she recalled precisely — and said she felt 100% a month later. But her first live game was against Concord, as she opted to sit out the AAU season and the Pirates’ summer league games in order to work on her skills and to ease into things.
“It’s a process,” Kratz said. “Your mind has to be ready as well as your body. There was zero way we were going to do anything before anybody was ready. She came to workouts, open gyms. She came to their summer league games.
“She’s gotten herself in great shape. She didn’t play a game this summer. When everybody’s playing 20 games in June and AAU in July, she didn’t play any games. She just had to do it herself to get herself in great shape. She did exactly what she needed to do. She would tell me, ‘I just ran in my neighborhood,’ or ‘I just went to the gym with my dad.’ All that good stuff. I was like, ‘I believe you, absolutely.'”
Wells’ teammates are absolutely happy to have her back.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, God, she’s here,'” junior forward Nyesha Davis said. “It brings warmth to see her play again. Kylie’s a major key to our team. We want to work hard when she’s out there. She brings a grit to the team.”
And it’s a young team. There are no seniors on a roster that also includes junior guard Vivian McSpadden, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, so Wells has attempted to take on an increased leadership role.
“I’m just trying to find ways to help my team on the court, be a better leader,” Wells said. “I feel like last year, I wasn’t as good of a leader as I could’ve been, so this year I’m trying to emphasize that. Just trying to keep my teammates involved more, thinking about everybody.
“I’m just glad to be a part of it. I feel blessed. We’re all there for each other. Those girls are like my sisters.”
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Kratz has witnessed that growth from Wells.
“It’s just a blessing to see her on the court again,” Kratz said. “From the moment she got out of surgery, it was just about, ‘What can I do to get back playing again?’ She truly loves the game. She loves her teammates. She loves being part of the program.”