Healthy at last, Henson making strides for Duke women's basketball

Not two…not three…not four…not five…not six. For Amber Henson, not even six knee surgeries could keep her from getting back on the court.

Despite missing nearly two years recovering from knee issues that doctors struggled to diagnose, the Tampa, Fla., native has once again done what she does best—use her indomitable will to persevere when even the toughest challenges are thrown her way.

“It’s her from the inside-out,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “She’s somebody who really loves to compete and loves to challenge herself and this has been an enormous challenge, but she’s continued to rise in every way.”

In a 68-53 home win against Miami Jan. 18, Henson notched career-high totals of 10 rebounds and 32 minutes. But it’s easy to forget the tremendous fight the 6-foot-4 forward has shown just to work herself back into playing shape.

Entering Duke as a top-10 recruit in the Class of 2011, Henson faced more pressure because of her name than her game. Henson’s brother John—who currently plays in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks—had set the bar high for the Henson family with his stand-out play at North Carolina. By opting for the smaller, more tight-knit community at in-state rival Duke, Amber Henson knew that the transition wouldn’t be easy.

“I was always relaxed, but more of the pressure came from my brother already doing it and being John’s little sister and living up to what he established at Carolina,” Henson said.

But Henson’s career slowly took a turn for the worse when she began to feel knee pain in her final years of high school.

After appearing in just eight games her freshman season at Duke, Henson was forced to the bench as doctors decided surgery was necessary to fix her kneecap instability. But what was believed to be a quick fix was far from it. Henson was granted a medical redshirt following her freshman and sophomore seasons, campaigns that saw the Blue Devils fall just a win short of reaching the Final Four.

“It was definitely tough, “ Henson said. “They initially told me it would be six to nine months, but then it turned into two years. It was tough trying to keep my spirits up and my teammates have been great.”

Henson was finally cleared to play—as a third-year redshirt freshman—before the start of the 2013-2014 season. Having undergone six surgeries and two years of rehab, it was clear that the forward would not be nearly the same player Duke had recruited two years earlier.

“At first, I just wanted to learn how to play basketball,” Henson said. “It’s already a big transition going from high school to college and then to miss two years and be set back two years… I was just trying to get back in the flow of the game again and trust my body again.”

Henson’s first season was a step in the right direction as she averaged 1.7 points per game in 9.3 minutes per game, regaining confidence that she could once again be a contributor on the court.

With three years of eligibility remaining, Henson was expected to slowly work her way into a more prominent role in the Blue Devils’ rotation—likely as an energy player off of McCallie’s bench this season and potentially a starter in future years.

But Henson had no intentions of easing her way into the fold. With the benefit of an offseason free of injuries, Henson transformed herself into a player that hasn't been seen since her days at Walter L. Sickles High School in Tampa, Fla.

“There’s something special about senior year and I didn’t want to go into it as a sophomore thinking I have two more years,” Henson said. “I wanted to go into it with a sense of urgency.”

Henson is one of only four Duke players to play in every game this season and has started seven contests. Averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in a solid 17.5 minutes of action, the redshirt sophomore has proved wrong those who didn’t think she could work her way back to a contributing role at the college level.

“She’s a heart person with a great work ethic and desire to compete,” McCallie said. “She’s one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around and she certainly has a fine skillset.”

But Henson’s value to the young Duke squad is more than just being the feel-good story for teammates to rally around.

After losing highly-touted freshmen Lynee Belton—who tore her ACL—and Sierra Calhoun—who decided to transfer—the Blue Devils are down to just 10 scholarship players, including walk-on-turned-scholarship-player Jenna Frush.

Capable of playing the three, four and five positions and an able long-range shooter, Henson brings versatility to the court and serves as a leader for the young squad in the locker room.

“She has a key role as a senior, as a captain, as somebody who's verbal and not afraid to speak her mind, “ McCallie said.

As Henson pulled down her career-high 10th rebound against Miami in a game in which she only scored three points, both McCallie and Henson once again had a chance to reflect on a great lesson about the power of perseverance, work ethic and dedication to the game.

“I was so happy for her, her team, and all of us,” McCallie said. “I love that she got 10 rebounds because it wasn’t a big scoring game for her. Somebody with less character wouldn’t rebound as well because when you don’t score, you don’t rebound as well.”

And for Henson, the performance was just another way to prove the doubters wrong.

“It was awesome because rebounding is something that is jumping, and being able to get into position using the lower body," Henson said. "That was something I always struggled with so being able to do that and prove to myself and my coaches was inspiring.”

The journey doesn’t end here. The fourth-year sophomore intends on using her two remaining years of eligibility to continue polishing her game and pursuing various internships and graduate programs as a public policy major.

The season has had its twists and turns for Duke this season. With a healthy Henson ready to provide a counterpunch to senior Elizabeth Williams and freshman Azura Stevens down low, the Blue Devils will have a chance to prove their doubters wrong in the ACC and beyond. Just like Henson.