By Bryan Fonseca, Athletic Communications Staff Assistant

Pain, discomfort, and rehabilitation that most lucky people may not feel once, St. Francis-Brooklyn sophomore Lorraine Hickman has been through twice.
 
And now, finally, the Floral Park, New York native is nearing a return to resume her basketball career, which has hung in the balance for over two years now.
 
Once upon a time, Hickman, then a junior at Floral Park high school, was one of the best post players in the Long Island area. She helped lead her team to the County Championships, and accumulated multiple Division I offers due to significant showings, like one in particular at AAU Nationals in Washington, D.C.
 
In August of 2014, Hickman's squad took their talents to Georgia for an AAU Showcase, which featured top level talent across the country. During a game, Hickman was given the ball inside the key, presumably to find a way to score and ultimately uplift her team, who had been down by a lot.
 
One second later, Hickman's senior season, which hadn't even begun yet, was over.
 
Just. Like. That.
 
"At the time the trainer's and everyone said 'it's just a hyperextension, you'll be fine.' I later saw two doctors, both said it's just a hyperextension," Hickman said, reflecting on the incident. "One doctor said to get an MRI just to be sure, and the MRI said 'complete tear.' I told all the coaches who were recruiting me at the time and they said 'oh, good luck with that…' I was devastated. St. Francis were the only ones who stuck with me – it felt pretty good because somebody liked me!" she continued with a laugh.
 
After tearing her right ACL, the 6-foot forward committed to St. Francis-Brooklyn on August 13, and later had surgery on August 26. Hickman was a standout for three years at Floral Park, and was prepping to take her game to the D-I level all while, you know, rehabbing from reconstructive ACL surgery, an obviously strenuous situation to be placed in.
 
Though, it helps when you're not alone, as Hickman had a rehab buddy in forward Olivia Levey, who had missed the 2014-15 season due to injury.
 
"While everyone else was playing open gym in the summer, I'm asking Liv 'hey, you want me to bring you an ice pack?' and she's like 'yeah!' and there we were just icing on the side," Hickman joked. "I wasn't even allowed to run until December (of 2014), and I wasn't allowed to swim until the spring, so it was pretty hard to condition since all I could do was the bike. It was nice because me and Liv came back to play contact at the same time, we were together on that."
 
"I remember watching everyone play open gym up until that point and everyone seemed so fast," Hickman continued, reflecting on her initial nerves while gradually returning to action. "I was playing against Liv, Cass (Cassidy Derda) and (Tori Wagner) – Tori and Cass were both taller than me so I'm thinking 'oh' I'm really going to have to use my quads today!'"
 
By sheer coincidence, Hickman's first real game back was in the same state where she'd torn her right ACL only 15 months prior – Georgia. The Terriers traveled to Georgia Tech to tip-off the 2015-16 season, and after seven appearances, which Hickman showed positive flashes including an eight-point output in eight minutes against Georgetown, the then-freshman suffered her second ACL tear right before Northeast Conference play began, this time in her left knee.
 
"I made the spin move and my leg just stayed put while the rest of me kept going," Hickman said with a half-smile. "I knew I had torn my ACL because I knew what it felt like already. The first time I was like 'this is different, I don't know what this is, and the second time it was more 'oh yeah, I definitely tore it.' I had the MRI the next day – I tore my ACL. I thought 'aww, come on, not again!'"
 
At the very least, Hickman had seven games of Division I action this time around, but again went through the dreadful rehabilitation process, and missed the remainder of her freshman season, putting her behind the eight ball once more.
 
"I missed out on a lot of practices, I missed out on a lot of bonding, but everyone was really supportive," Hickman said. "Some of the girls even came to visit, they always Snapchatted me."
 
Hickman, who insists that she's a little nervous about her pending return but laughingly adds 'you could only be nervous so many times after an ACL,' worked extensively to make up for lost time in this instance. The sophomore went right into physical therapy at the first opportunity, and did everything she could, as quickly (and as carefully) as possible, while setting up to return to the floor, good as new.
 
"The first time when I came back I said 'nobody is touching this knee. I never want to bend it again!'" she said with a laugh. "This time after surgery it was five days straight in a brace, no walking, no bending. On that fifth day my mom took off that brace and I'm like 'alright let's bend this thing!' and I started putting weight on it right away."
 
"I feel better coming back this time than I did the last time. I feel more comfortable and I feel stronger and I feel faster," she added, confidently. "When I came back to practice, coach (Ranait Griff) had actually worked with me a lot. Everytime I said I'm never doing a spin move again, she said 'oh come on, yes you are.' Everytime I had to re-learn a new move it was as slow as I need to, but as fast as I could. She really pushed me and I really like that. As hard as it is, it's nice to be pushed and it showed that she cared and stuff, so I was happy...even though I was dying and panting and catching my breath every day."
 
The plan was for Hickman to be ready in-time for NEC play, which she has yet to experience, and as of now, she is right on schedule. Terrier head coach john Thurston says that while Hickman has only recently been cleared for contact, his biggest hope is for the skilled sophomore to re-establish herself within the comfort of the sport she loves.
 
"Given these circumstances her biggest battle will be to be able to get back into the flow of playing," Coach T said. "She has been doing non-contact drilling diligently for several months but that is very different than full contact playing. We are now into conference play and she will have to work her way into the rotation through her play in practice. She is an aggressive, skilled post player and it is my hope that she will get her 'feel' back sooner than later."
 
Whether her return comes in December 29 in the team's NEC opener against the Bryant Bulldogs, or at a later date, Hickman, who will wear a sleeve and a brace, assures that she'll be set to go.
 
"They say after a year you don't need to wear the brace. I wear a sleeve just for that little extra 'please don't tear again.' So, no ACL's this season, or next season, or ever again," Hickman says, before literally crossing her fingers.
 
The aforementioned contest on the 29^th will tip-off a Terriers vs. Bulldogs NEC doubleheader, which is one of two doubleheaders to be held at The Pope this week, the second of which coming on New Year's Eve when Central Connecticut State bounces into Brooklyn.
 
Whenever Hickman is back on the floor for the first time since last December, it is certain that Terrier fans, and of course, her teammates, will be ready to welcome her back with open arms.