BRACED FOR ACTION

Published 9:00 pm Friday, January 16, 2004

SEATTLE — The lane was as open as Denny’s and Angie Jones was tempted to blow through it for a layup.

That’s the instinct. That’s what Jones did at Holy Names Academy before two torn anterior cruciate ligaments in her right knee over three years planted doubt in her mind that hasn’t yet left.

The dreaded ACL tear. It’s the bane of all athletes, from basketball players to bowlers. For many, one time through is enough. From the branding-iron pain when the injury occurs to six to nine months of relentless, tedious rehabilitation.

Jones has gone through it twice now. A black knee brace is a constant reminder of what she continues to go through. But that pales in comparison to the way it’s affected her head.

Who wouldn’t go through the doubts? Lord only knows, what if it should happen again?

"I think there’s still a level of caution to my game," Jones said. "There’s still some confidence that I have to gain. I think there are some times when I consciously think about it, but sub-consciously, it’s always there."

The University of Washington hasn’t yet seen Jones at her best, not as she was at Holy Names, when she’d routinely explode past defenders or make a steal and burst halfway downcourt before observers could comprehend what they had just seen.

The first tear took away Jones’ junior season at Holy Names, which she led to three state tournaments. She’d never been seriously injured before. Now, pain is a constant companion.

You’ve gotta be kidding, Jones thought when she tore it again.

"I was healthy," she said. "I rolled my ankles every day, but it had nothing to do with my knees. Now, since I’ve had knee problems, I’ve never hurt my ankles."

The second tear took away her first season at Washington. Having injured the knee in the first week of practice, Jones watched as her Husky teammates made the NCAA Tournament. She got to know every step in every corner of Hec Edmundson Pavilion as she ran the stands for her rehabilitation.

Jones wouldn’t start playing basketball again eight months into her rehab. Eight months of lifting, eight months of stretching, eight months of preparation. Just for the chance to play. Without guarantees.

All the while, she never completely let on that some days were good, but some simply weren’t.

"I was here in practice when she tore her ACL for the second time," senior guard Giuliana Mendiola said. "It was a horrible experience, but watching her now, she’s just happy being out there on the court, contributing to the team. She doesn’t take things too seriously. Everything just rolls off her."

Not everything. Not really.

Jones’ best friend, teammate Jill Bell, says Jones kept the appearance that everything was fine, even when they weren’t.

"She’s one of those people who doesn’t show her emotions," Bell said. "She makes sure that everyone thinks she’s OK. She’s the tough one. But I know there were some bad days, days when she was discouraged."

More than a few haven’t been able to endure the physical and mental tests to come back. Jones says she never thought of anything but playing again, even after the second injury.

"I just don’t think quitting is in me," she said. "I don’t think I can just say that I’m done. I know that there are a lot of people who have gone through it once and say, ‘That’s it.’ That’s perfectly fine for them. But I just don’t think it’s me to give up on it, I guess. I don’t know what I’d do if I did it again. I can’t really decide."

In a way, Jones’ advantage was in knowing what it took to recover. After the second injury, Jones attacked rehab so fiercely that team trainers had to tell her to back off.

"She just wasn’t going through the motions," UW coach June Daugherty said. "She was intense about it. She was going hard. She came back earlier than expected. Doctors give her a lot of credit for how hard she worked."

This, even when residue of the first injury remained. Jones still has bits of cartilage ("A bunch of junk," she said.) floating around inside. That was one factor in the pain, which, Jones said, was much more intense the second time around.

"I remember in my follow-up examination, I was crying so much that my mother had to leave the room," Jones said. "It was excruciating."

Nevertheless, Jones knew what to expect and what was needed. Jones faithfully followed the rehab plan. When she had discouraging days, her teammates, Kirsten Brockman and Bell, were there for her, as well as her family.

They, more than anything, Jones said, kept her going. That and her desire to play basketball again.

"Going through surgery is never an easy thing," Jones said. "There are always days when you don’t feel like doing stuff. Ultimately, it just comes down to whether it’s something you want to do. Basketball is something that I wanted to do. There were days when I didn’t feel like doing my rehab, but you’ve just got to pursue it to reach your ultimate goal."

Jones has started the last two games for Washington, which is a victory it itself. As a redshirt freshman, she has much to learn, especially having missed all but a few practices last season.

The next step, though, is to toss the knee brace into a dumpster.

"I hate it," Jones said. "I can’t wait until I’m out of it. They’re not heavy; they allow you to move pretty well. But I end up hitting my other leg with it. I used to have really bad scratches up and down my leg because of it."

Her tone said that’s been the worse aspect of the last three years.

It wasn’t. Either time.

But she’ll never let on.