Esther Allison’s final university basketball season nearly ended before it ever truly began.
Instead, it became a testament to perseverance.
The fifth-year senior for the UFV Cascades women’s basketball team has been named the 2026 recipient of the Canada West Courage Overcoming Adversity Award after battling back from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in preseason — returning to the court by November from a typically season-ending injury.
Allison learned about the honour in a message from head coach Al Tuchscherer to the team’s group chat, a moment that caught her off guard.
“I wasn’t expecting to win at all,” Allison said in an interview with OB.SESSED. “Then, after thinking about everything I’ve been through, I thought maybe I do kind of deserve a perseverance award. I’m super grateful for it.”
The award recognizes the Canada West women’s basketball player who demonstrates exceptional courage and resilience while overcoming significant adversity. For Allison, the recognition caps a career that gradually evolved from a depth role into one of the program’s most respected leaders.
That journey nearly came to a sudden halt in early October.
The injury occurred during a preseason match with only seconds remaining, when the Langley BC native attempted to make one final play.
“There was about five seconds left,” she said. “We were down by like 10, and I wanted to make this a bit closer of a game. So, I just tried and get one more basket — I went up to catch it, and my knee kind of just gave out.”
At first, Allison believed the injury was minor.
“In the moment, I was like, ‘It’s not that bad.’ I thought I had just tweaked it.”
But tests soon revealed the severity of the damage.
Her ACL and MCL were both completely torn.
That type of diagnosis would normally dictate a lost season — effectively ending her university career — and the Credo Christian alum briefly considered that possibility.
“At first, I thought I was done. That’s where my mindset was,” said Allison.
However seriously she considered that outcome, the thought was short-lived.
Her rehabilitation began almost immediately. Within days she was back at practice, working on conditioning and movement while teammates ran through drills.
“I started doing sprints and slides on the sideline,” she said. “Then I started doing non-contact three weeks after that.”
And by November she was back in the rotation, but not without significant adjustments.
Lacking the ability explode off her injured leg to jump, Allison had to structurally change the way she played.
“I started practicing my shot without really jumping,” she said. “It ended up working out for me.”
Appearing in 16 games across the 2025-26 season Allison made 12 starts, averaging 24 minutes per game. She averaged 7.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 46 per cent from the field.
Her season included several notable performances after returning from injury. Allison scored 20 points in a exhibition game against Queen’s, added 15 points against UNBC in January and recorded 18 points in a Canada West play-in victory over Mount Royal.
Other parts of her game required being more proactive than reactive.
Where she once dove freely on a loose ball, she had to be more calculated, choosing when to “go” and when not to.
“I was always kind of a gritty player,” she said. “I would get points from sprinting the floor, rebounding, doing things with 100 per cent effort. I was still able to do that with my injury.”
During the early weeks of recovery, her role shifted away from the court to what she could contribute off it.
Allison took on a mentorship role with young players like Miah Schuurman and Kyanna Knodel, sharing observations from the bench and offering guidance during practices.
“I needed to find other ways to be a part of the game,” she said. “Talking to people and telling them things, it helped me stay locked in.”
She said that steady progression — even when playing time was limited early in her career — is part of the message she hopes younger players in the program remember.
The six-foot forward finished her UFV career having played in 112 games with 45 starts. Over five seasons she recorded 590 points and 396 rebounds, developing from a limited-role freshman into a regular starter by her fourth year.
“I didn’t play my first few years,” she said. “But I got more confidence, and thought ‘I deserve to be here.’ Then by my fourth year I was starting, and it showed that all that work was worth it.”
Looking back, Allison says she is proud of what the Cascades accomplished during a challenging season, and that she is thankful for her family’s support, particularly in the days immediately after the injury.
“My mom got me an MRI scheduled the same week I got injured,” Allison said. “She put a rush on my results and helped me get everything set up.”
“I’m proud that I was able to get back on the court too.”
More than anything, she hopes younger players in the program carry forward the lesson she tried to demonstrate — that it doesn’t matter where you come from.
If you really want something, a spot in the starting lineup or more playing time off the bench, it is possible through hard work and determination.
And as her university career comes to an end, Allison hopes the legacy she leaves with the Cascades reflects the values she tried to embody throughout her five seasons.
“Just don’t ever give up,” she said. “Play with heart and play tough."