Jordan Horston’s exceptional rise to basketball superstardom was halted in February 2025 when the Texan tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg, sidelining the passionate player and requiring a lengthy recovery process. Fortunately, this fearless woman is back and ready to return for the 2026 season, and in a recent conversation with M&F Hers, she explained the injury, the recovery and the fire that still burns for basketball.
who Jordan Horston? Career, injury and return schedule
Born in Dallas, Texas, the 6’2″ Jordan Hurston attended Ohio’s Columbus Africentric High School and helped his team win its second state title during his high school career. As a senior guard, Horston committed to play basketball at Tennessee Lady Volunteer College. receiving MVP status in the McDonald’s All-American Game and helping Tennessee to three NCAA tournament appearances along the way.
By 2023, Horston was the ninth overall pick of the WNBA by the Seattle Storm, and she played over 35 games in her first two seasons, improving her shooting percentage from 36.7% in her rookie season to 49.3% the following year. Unfortunately, basketball’s exciting momentum took a hit in February 2025 after Hurston tore her ACL while playing for Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, forcing her to confirm that the 2025 WNBA season will be off the schedule. Although his time away from the game was sometimes a terrifying ordeal, it was also an important process of discovery, faith and serious character building.
What happened to Jordan Horston’s ACL?
“It was just a freak accident,” Hurston reflects as he recalls the accident that changed everything. “I had a strange feeling that day. I didn’t feel like my usual self.” The player explains that she was on her period during the unfortunate game and wondered if her period might have played a role in the injury. Recent studies show that this is actually a period of lowest risk. but compared to two weeks before the deadline. However, research has shown that women are 3.5 times more likely to have an ACL tear in basketball than men, and one of the deciding factors is that women have thinner cruciate ligaments than men. “I just overextended and overextended myself and it was my ACL,” Hurston says.
The cruciate ligament connects the femur (thigh bone) to the thigh bone in the center of the knee. tibia (shin bone) and provides stability while controlling rotation. When a tear occurs, there is a long process of repair and recovery. Of course, for those who have established their identity as an elite athlete, being forced out of action creates mental and physical challenges. “Basketball is my path,” Horston says. “So it was very, very hard for me to take.” However, the basketball player says that the challenge brought him closer to God and encouraged him to discover other elements of his character – so that sports were not his only defining characteristic.
Jordan Horston’s ACL Rehab: A Step-by-Step Recovery Process
After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Horston decided to remain part of the team. “Seattle did a good job,” he says. “They definitely did everything they could to make me feel as involved and on the team as possible. It was hard. It was like breaking up with my ex and seeing them every day.” Still, Hurston hung in there and says the Seattle Storm coaches and teammates lifted him out of a dark place. “I had to learn to walk again,” she tells M&F Hers, noting that one of the challenges was not going too hard and recovering quickly. “I was afraid to go to the bathroom,” he recalls the pain he felt in those early days. “That was the worst.”
To restore his muscles and stamina, Hurston began his rehab by squeezing his quads. “I had no strength in my legs,” she explains. “Fixing wasn’t working and it was very frustrating at first, but I decided to do it.” Once the squeeze was successful, the basketball player added ankle weights and pulled the knees, then came on the bike and mastered a pedal cycle before racing. “I had to count the small victories because I knew it was a long journey,” says the inspirational athlete.
Along with physical progress, there were changes in thinking. “If you knew me a year ago, I never wanted to do footwork,” Hurston says. “I hated working legs. I was just arms, hands, arms… It was just youth ignorance, right? And then I got injured and now I’m like, ‘I need every muscle in my leg,’ especially around the knee, quads, hamstrings, hamstrings, hamstrings, legs, feet. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me. stabilizing your body and keeping your knees safe.”
Hurston says the recovery process has taught her that her legs are her “engine.” Now, she loves the leg extension machine and calls her deadlifts like never before. Horston also does a lot of single leg work to correct any imbalances. This focused more on the performance of her body than on her nutrition. “I’m more intentional about my nutrition and recovery,” she says. “I take cold plunges and saunas and use a hyperbaric chamber. I just feel better. And when I feel better, I play better.”
Jordan Horston says M&F Hers that he is now hustling for his comeback, entering the field at 8.15 am for shooting practice, followed by physical sessions such as massage, muscle activation or endurance exercises. By 10 a.m., the baller is back on the court for drills and drills, followed by a workout in the gym, some cardio, and then the all-important recovery. “Eat, sleep and repeat,” he says with his eyes. “Honestly, I don’t regret the injury at all,” says Horston. “It might sound funny, but I’m grateful for it, in a way… It taught me how to really take care of my body on a different level.”
Jordan Horston is set to return to the court for the WNBA’s 30th season. starting from May 8, 2026.
