Enemkpali was recently released by doctors back onto the court for the first time since tearing her ACL more than a year ago. She is expected to take to the court Friday (Jan. 29) at Austin HS when the Panthers face the Maroon in a 7:30 p.m. District 25-5A contest.

Enemkpali has not played since her team lost in the Class 5A state semifinals last March 6 against the state's No. 1 ranked team, Aldine Nimitz, which was powered by 6-8 National Player of the Year Brittney Griner.

Enemkpali was enjoying a standout game matched against HS phenom Griner (now starring at Baylor), and the Panthers were within striking distance, trailing Nimitz 38-28 at intermission. In the opening seconds of the third quarter, however, Enemkpali went down with her ACL knee injury as she drove the baseline in a layup attempt. Her injury quieted the nearly 9,000 fans in attendance and she was helped off the court, not to return for the Panthers, who finished the year at 32-6.

"The feeling I had was nauseous,” Pflugerville basketball coach Nancy Walling said.

"That night I actually cried, it was really tough," stated PHS junior forward Adesuwa Ebomwonyi.

"When I went down, it was a bit of a heartbreaker,” Enemkpali said.

Enemkpali was recently cleared to practice and is scheduled to make her season debut Friday night (January 29) against Austin High School. Her debut will come after almost 11 months of tough rehab.

 She also got a little bit of help from her friends.

"Saturdays we'd run on the track, trying to get her back in shape,” Ebomwonyi said.

"We got a list of all the players, high school and college, that had gone through it and I think that really helped her know it would be ok," Walling said.

In the meantime, she has been patiently waiting from the sideline.

"Everything the coaches are saying, it's like you see it from the bench," Enemkpali said.