In early October, redshirt sophomore Brynn McCurry tore her UCL in her elbow just three weeks before the season started.
Flash forward to Dec. 8, and the 6’1” forward was named the Big East Player of the Week after tying her career high of 21 points in the Big Five Classic Championship.
On Saturday at the Finneran Pavillion, McCurry was also named the Mel Greenberg MVP of the Big Five Women’s Classic, where Villanova achieved a 76-70 victory over Saint Joseph’s University.
“I’m just grateful that I’m able to play right now, just get through the season,” McCurry said postgame.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery on her right elbow, McCurry had to enter an extensive recovery process. She was sidelined for her sophomore season due to an ACL tear and did not want to sit out an entire season again. After careful deliberations with her physical therapist and her sports medicine and coaching staff, it was decided that the best alternative for McCurry to play was with a large brace, limiting the motion of her arm and subsequently her shot release. McCurry called her new look on the court “bionic,” as the black braces on her left arm and left knee make her stand out amongst her teammates.
“I just can’t straighten [my arm] all the way, but, I mean, I kind of adjusted that with my shot,” McCurry said. “It took some time at first, but just like my knee brace, when you first learn to run with the brace, you feel like a baby giraffe.”
Through difficult practices and therapy sessions, McCurry was able to re-learn her shot technique despite the added obstacle. McCurry stayed determined to keep pushing, until the arm brace has not limited her abilities on the court.
Since the beginning of the season, McCurry has averaged 12.9 points per game. However, in the past six games, her average has leveled up to 18.5 points per game.
On Nov. 16, at James Madison University, McCurry’s game gained momentum with a career-high of 18 points. Now scoring 21 points in the upset win over No. 25 West Virginia and against Saint Joseph’s, “bionic Brynn” is only gaining power.
“She’s a consistent worker, and she understands the game so well,” head coach Denise Dillon said. “She knows what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and [I’m] just super proud of her. Just her resilience is amazing, and she’s getting results that are working in favor of this team’s success.”
Prior to her arrival at Villanova, McCurry attended Sparta High School in her hometown in Sussex County, NJ. At Sparta, McCurry was a triple-threat athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball and track and field as a javelin thrower. During her junior year of high school, McCurry not only won the New Jersey State Championship for basketball, but also volleyball in the fall and track and field in the spring.
Throughout her basketball journey, McCurry has continued to battle through severe injuries. But she said that her positive outlook and rich support system have helped her persevere.
Misfortune first struck during her senior year of high school, when McCurry suffered an ACL tear and could not play any sports for six months.
McCurry’s dedication to basketball started at four years old at Upward Sports, a Christian youth sports league. She moved her talents to an AAU league with the New Jersey Magic. From there, McCurry joined United in middle school, gaining recognition in large tournaments like Nike and Run for the Roses.
“I wouldn’t be able to do that without my team,” McCurry said. “I think a lot of our ball movement is very in the flow, and I think everyone else talking and being able to create for others is what makes us so successful.”
At the Big 5 Classic championship on Sunday night, McCurry shot a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
“It’s great to have Brynn on the floor,” Dillon said. “She has so many ways of impacting the game, and sadly, you know, got that knee injury early and missed all of last year, but she picked up right where she had left off.”
