Senior guard China Crosby does not belong on crutches. Crosby belongs on a basketball court.
On the floor, Crosby has just one speed: faster than everyone else. Opponents see her as a blur. She does not wait for teammates. When Crosby takes the ball in her hands, every play is a fast break and players have two options: keep up or watch her go by.
So the sight of the lightning-quick Crosby limping across Grounds during basketball season last winter disturbed me. The scene was unnatural, like meeting your hero past her prime. You know you’re looking at the same person who made your jaw drop with her incredible skill, but you don’t want to believe it.
When I covered the women’s basketball team last winter, I would pass Crosby on Grounds every few weeks. Each time I would wish the crutches were gone. The first game I ever saw at John Paul Jones Arena was a preseason women’s game between Virginia and Alaska Anchorage. I had never heard of any of the players, I had never even seen a women’s college basketball game, and I had no idea what to expect. Within minutes, one player caught my attention — Who is that number “1”?
The more I watched, the more questions I had. Why is China running fast breaks by herself? How many red bulls did she have before walking onto the court? Does she know this is a preseason game? Why does she look more intense than everyone else combined?
During the course of the season, I realized the answer to many of my questions came down to one simple fact: Crosby truly loves playing basketball. And now, she has a reason to appreciate the game more than ever: She has found out what life is like without it.
Crosby missed the second half of the 2010-11 season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL in her left knee. She went through a grueling rehab just to get healthy. When she returned to her role as floor general for the Cavaliers, Crosby’s passion was palpable, and everyone watching knew she was back in her element.
Maybe that’s why Crosby did not hold back Nov. 16 last season against High Point when she tweaked her knee. Her reaction baffled me. It was one of the most bizarre moments I have ever seen on a basketball court. Crosby did not remain on the ground clutching her balky knee. Instead, she hopped toward the Cavalier bench and began punching the vacant seats with all her strength, not in pain but in anger. She did not want to miss a minute.
Before that moment, Crosby had appeared impervious to injury. She did not play like a player recovering from knee surgery, like a player who could be lost for the season at any moment. She played like she would never slow down.
The lingering injury, the months spent rehabbing and the outburst against High Point all faded in one surreal moment. Crosby returned for the very next game against then-No. 3 Tennessee. Virginia had not beaten a top-three ranked opponent in more than a decade. Crosby was going to play.
Crosby, senior forward Chelsea Shine and guard Ariana Moorer scored Virginia’s final 22 points as the Cavaliers stunned the Lady Vols in overtime, 69-64. As the final four seconds ticked off the clock, Crosby had the ball in her hands. When the clock hit zero, Crosby flung the ball toward the rafters to celebrate the team’s first 4-0 start since 1997.
The magic of that moment could not change the truth — Crosby was playing hurt. Later that winter, Crosby reinjured her knee in a Dec. 20 game against James Madison and was forced to go back under the knife. I assumed her career was over. I should have known better.
Two surgeries later, Crosby is back for her senior season to play basketball for Virginia one last time. She returns to a team whose go-to scorer and most reliable post presence — Moorer and Shine, respectively — have graduated. She returns to a team whose sparkplug senior Lexie Gerson, who performed admirably while starting for the injured Crosby last season, is out for the season herself after undergoing hip surgery. She returns to a team that needs major contributions from freshmen to be competitive. Yet Crosby is returning, and that alone will make the season special.
Coach Joanne Boyle referred to Crosby as the “fireball” last season. As long as that fireball is on the court, there will be no lackadaisical play. After all Crosby has gone through the past two seasons — fighting through injury and rehab, promise and disappointment — having her team play with passion is not a goal but a guarantee. Crosby will allow nothing less.
After spending last winter watching Crosby hold the sides of her crutches as she limped across Grounds with a slight grimace on her face, seeing her with a basketball in her hands instead will be refreshing. I can only imagine how it must feel for her.
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