‘Rust bucket’ Blicavs expects good time, not a long time

After 13 months out, Dandenong Rangers star Sara Blicavs isn't setting her expectations too high as she prepares for her comeback to the WNBL.

The 25-year-old will make her return against Bendigo Spirit on Sunday following a 2017 knee reconstruction.

Long time coming: Sara Blicavs returns to the WNBL on Sunday.Credit:Darrian Traynor

Earlier this season there were concerns Blicavs wouldn't be back in time after several setbacks in her recovery but she is ready to at least play a small role in the final month of the campaign.

While Blicavs has put in countless hours of training and recovery work, she has only completed a few sessions with her team so won't be expected to play major minutes, especially with the Rangers on a two-game winning streak following their impressive 106-73 win over Sydney University Flames on Friday night.

"I've done three team sessions for about an hour – so I'm definitely a rust bucket but no excuses, I know I will always bring effort," Blicavs said with a laugh on Saturday.

"I've been training by myself for a while now and then the last three weeks has been a rush. My knee hasn't been rushed back, it has responded really well, it has just been a rush to get me back out on the basketball court.

"I've done one five-minute full-court game so we're just going to throw me in there and see how I go."

Something Blicavs is also conscious of is not disrupting the chemistry of the main rotation as they are in a tight top-four battle with only a win or two separating second through seventh on the WNBL ladder. The Rangers (6-6 win-loss) and the Spirit (6-8) are among those teams.

"I have no expectations on myself at all and that's why I'm not nervous at the moment," Blicavs said.

"I just want to come out there, defend hard, rebound well and run the floor for as long as I can.

"I'm not out there to dominate, to try and score or do that stuff. I'm just out there to hype the girls up and bring some enthusiastic positivity amongst the team.

The moment: Blicavs goes down with a knee injury last year.Credit:Mick Connolly

"Our team is doing so well that if I can just contribute in the littlest of ways I will be rapt."

Blicavs admits she felt plenty of heartbreak during her recovery as she repeatedly hit roadblocks.

Blicavs not only ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament but also injured her kneecap and meniscus – a combination of injuries athletes are always told to temper any expectations of a quick return.

It was a cruel moment that came at the worst possible time, ruling her out of contention for the rest of the WNBL season and the the Opals teams that claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and silver at the Women’s World Cup.

"I probably had about seven setbacks and four of those I have been seriously upset," Blicavs said.

"Everybody told me I was going to have setbacks with this and I just had such high expectations of myself, that I was going to do all my rehab perfectly and be back in eight months but I did my rehab perfectly and as good as I could and I still had all these setbacks.

"The hardest part was that subconsciously I had goals for when I wanted to be back and not achieving them were heartbreaking for me. Worlds was on one of them, then it was pre-season, then start of WNBL.

"It got to the point where I said mid-November and I couldn’t be back for that. It wasn’t a great year for me to be out.

Blicavs in full flight for the Rangers last year.Credit:Mick Connolly

"But I stayed super optimistic through the whole thing and having that mindset meant I could manage throughout the whole year and my down times are probably not even that bad compared to others going through injury.

"My family, friends and our supporters – all those people were incredibly supportive and I’m so thankful."

Blicavs doesn't expect her jitters to kick in until Rangers coach Larissa Anderson looks down the bench and calls her name.

"I will be super nervous when Larissa calls my name, that will be when I'm like "it's actually happening"," Blicavs said.

"As soon as I get my first rebound I know I'll look up to Mum and Dad in the stands as if to say, 'Yay, I can rebound again'.

"I'm just happy to be back."

Dandenong Rangers host Bendigo Spirit at Dandenong Stadium on Sunday at 3pm.

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