New Zealand basketball rep Lauren Whittaker is home after a life-changing experience attending the first women’s Basketball Without Borders camp in the United States. After overcoming a devastating knee injury, she's even more focused on achieving her dream of playing in the WNBA.
Lauren Whittaker has the world at her feet.
The 17-year-old from St Andrews College in Christchurch has just arrived home after one of the best experiences of her life, which reaffirmed her dream to play basketball at the highest level.
Whittaker was selected as the sole New Zealand representative for the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global camp in Las Vegas – the first women’s-only BWB camp held.
“I had to pinch myself every day that I was having that experience,” she says.
“To be in Vegas in that company, on an all-expenses paid for trip, it was the stuff that dreams are made of. It was next level.”
Whittaker almost missed the invitation. The email from the NBA went to her spam folder and she came across it by chance.
“I saw the invite and I couldn’t believe it. It was so exciting and such an honour to be in that company.”
Operated by the NBA, WNBA and FIBA, the BWB Global Camp saw 38 of the top female school-age prospects from 24 countries travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, for this event, which was held last month at Doral Academy as part of the WNBA All-Star 2023 weekend.
The campers were coached by former WNBA and FIBA players and coaches, who led them through a variety of activities, including anthropometric and athletic testing, movement efficiency, skill development stations, shooting and skills competitions, life skills seminars and 5-on-5 games.
Asked what her biggest take out from the experience was, Whittaker said: “Confidence”.
“Believe in yourself. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, everyone has their own story,” she says.
“Going in there I was pretty nervous, I was with some of the best players in the world. I reminded myself to back my ability and all of the training that I have put in over the years. I deserved to be there.”
Bouncing back from a devastating injury
It’s been a rollercoaster 12 months for the New Zealand rep.
The 6’3” (192cm) centre suffered a devastating ACL injury while playing basketball last year, which cost her a place in the NZ U17 Women’s national team that competed at the FIBA Asian Championships in Jordan.
She felt her knee pop in and out and was in a lot of pain, but had no idea how bad it was.
“I was pretty surprised when the doctor told me that I had torn my ACL and that I would be out for a long time. I didn’t want to believe it.”
It took Whittaker 10 months to fully recover from her injury. It was a grind.
“It was hard to go back to square one. You are there sitting on the table trying to get basic movement back so you need to be really patient,” she says.
Whittaker fully committed herself to her rehab. In her words, she became best friends with the leg press and the leg extension machines.
“It was a big challenge, learning how to walk again, and making slow progress to start with,” she says.
“I had a lot of people say to me: ‘Make sure you do your rehab properly because you don’t want to do it again. If you cut any corners you will pay for that later on’.”
Getting back on court
After months of hard work, Whittaker was finally ready to lace up the shoes and get back on court.
“It was really scary,” she says.
Whittaker can still remember her first game back with her school team, when all she could think about was reinjuring her knee.
“I knew I was ready, but it was a big step, and you always have that doubt in the back of your mind coming back from a major injury.”
But with every moment came more confidence and Whittaker was straight back into action. Her first tournament back was the U-19 Nationals representing Canterbury at home at MainPower Stadium.
Canterbury won the tournament and Whittaker was named MVP. The next day she was invited to attend the BWB Global Camp.
“It has definitely been a whirlwind since coming back,” she says. “I am really grateful for all the opportunities I've been given.
“Getting to test yourself compared with other girls in the world, is such a cool opportunity.”
Whittaker says her time away from basketball renewed her perspective.
Her advice to younger players is to enjoy the game, and she needs to remember that as well.
“When you go through the levels it is easy to get caught up in trying to make teams or winning championships, but at the end of the day, the main thing is enjoying the game.
“You have to remember why you started playing the game. Know your why – that is one thing that I have learned over the past year. That is the foundation for everything.”
Following in her family’s footsteps
Whittaker will be going back to the States in December. She has been awarded a basketball scholarship for four years at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
She follows in the footsteps of her siblings. Her older sister Charlotte (22) is on a basketball scholarship at Colorado University, and her older brother Mason (21) is on a basketball scholarship at the America University in Washington DC.
“I have watched my brother and my sister go through the US college pathway and it’s something that I have wanted since I was five years old and I first started playing basketball. So to see them achieve and know that it is possible, is great for my confidence.”
She says her recent experience with the BWB has given her more motivation to try to get to that level.
“I have always had the goal of playing in the WNBA and to play for the Tall Ferns and with the setback last year with the injury, I started to question that a little bit,” she says.
“Now that I am back, and I am getting opportunities that align with my big goal, it helps confirm that dream is within reach.”
Forming good habits
Whittaker performs the ACC SportSmart warm up every time she trains and play. It has been a huge part of her getting back on the court with confidence.
“I don’t have a lot of knee pain at all when I'm playing and that's due to my warmup. That's all part of my process now.”
ACC recently announced that they will invest $340,000 into Basketball New Zealand over the next 18 months to reduce injuries and protect players. The programme will be modelled on the highly-regarded ACC SportSmart neuromuscular programme.
Every year, ACC accepts over 20,000 new claims for basketball-related injuries. These injuries come at a cost of more than $20 million to help people recover, and the numbers are increasing.
Basketball is the fourth largest contributor of sports injuries in New Zealand
“It’s awesome to see ACC supporting injury prevention in our game. To have that support at all levels in New Zealand is so important,” she says.
“This partnership will definitely help players' confidence – just knowing there is that support there.”
ACC Injury Prevention partner Nicola Wilson says it’s great to welcome basketball to the stable of national sports organisations the government agency partners with to keep people active and enjoying their sport.
“We know basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Aotearoa,” she says.
“They have over 100,000 registered players and have experienced significant growth in the past 10 years. It’s great to align with them and develop a programme that’s going to help us reduce the incidence and severity of injuries in the game.”
Whittaker encouraged all players to form good habits early in their basketball careers.
“Invest in your body,” she says. “Put in as much effort in around strength and conditioning as you do on the basketball court. The work you do off the court sets you up to play the game for the long term.”
