The ravages from the coronavirus pandemic have been many, especially in sports. However, there is some light at the end of a long and winding tunnel for WNBA player Asia Durr.
As a COVID-19 survivor, Durr still experienced long-term effects of the virus and hasn’t been able to play for two full seasons.
I’M BACK‼️ Thank you God. Thank you to everyone that’s played a role throughout this journey. Dedicated to the process. It’s not gone be easy. I’m ready. Let’s get it 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/3eXvN7PK8z
— Asia Durr (@A_Hooper25) November 16, 2021
Guess Who’s Bizack!
However, Durr recently took to social media to announce that she has finally cleared WNBA protocols and can return to basketball.
This is great news. New York Liberty guard Asia Durr will get the opportunity to continue her basketball career when earlier this year it appeared covid-19 might have ended it. https://t.co/jdROGBFeGL
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) November 16, 2021
“So, as y’all know, I was sick last year, and I have long-haulers. But today I went through (an) extensive amount of testing, cardiac testing; and when you play in the WNBA, you have to go through certain testing after testing positive for COVID.
“You have to go through cardiac testing; you have to go through everything to make sure your heart has no damage from having COVID, right. So I went through all of that testing, and, guys, guess what? I have been cleared to play basketball again! Yeah, let’s go!”
Been A COVID Minute
The revelation is welcome for fans who haven’t seen the No. 2 pick from the 2019 WNBA Draft. Durr was medically excused from the 2020 season. The Louisville guard only played her rookie season before being sidelined with the virus.
Glad to be back. Trust the process 🙏🏽 #L1C4 https://t.co/sBRKBtwQbN
— Asia Durr (@A_Hooper25) November 16, 2021
During her rookie season and the following 2020 season, Liberty did not make the playoffs. During the 2021 season, they lost in the first round to the Phoenix Mercury. Durr could have been instrumental in that series, as she is the second-leading scorer in Louisville history.
Durr was featured on HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” where she detailed her diagnosis and struggled with the virus.
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The Struggle Was Real
“There’s days where I feel great, like I could go out and go to the store or I could clean up,” said Durr on “Real Sports.” “And then there’s days where I’m like, ‘I just have to stay in the bed,’ and you just feel like you got hit by a bus.”
I miss basketball 💔
— Asia Durr (@A_Hooper25) August 27, 2021
Durr detailed her long suffering from vertigo, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. It was the first in-depth look at a long-hauler’s bout with COVID, especially from the vantage point of a professional athlete.
Also, to be clear: I am working every day to be back for this WNBA season! My progress is slow and incremental, but I’m striving to gain momentum. Thankful for @NYLiberty for their patience & resources. This entire struggle has been a powerful reminder of all my blessings too.
— Asia Durr (@A_Hooper25) January 27, 2021
“I couldn’t breathe,” Durr said to “Real Sports.” “I was spitting up blood. [I had] lung pain that was just so severe. It felt like somebody took a long knife and was stabbing you in your lungs each second. I woke up two o’clock in the morning vomiting, going back and forth to the bathroom.”
Louisville legend Asia Durr is still in a major fight with Covid after being diagnosed in June. She’s lost 32 lbs and hasn’t played basketball in 6 months. She’s unsure if she’ll ever play again. Very sad. 📺: @wncaudill pic.twitter.com/AVdtuklovB
— Nick Coffey (@TheCardConnect) January 27, 2021
No Peace
For Durr, the most challenging part of being sick was her inability to play, which was her go-to activity for solace.
“That’s what’s really hard for me,” Durr said. “Because in life whenever something was hard, I would go play. I can’t even do that now.”
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Durr is primed to return to the Liberty during the offseason, undoubtedly giving her time to train again and prepare for a 2022 Liberty run. With a harrowing experience during the coronavirus pandemic, Durr has come out on the other side from a virus that has claimed many lives and permanently derailed professional careers.
