Vanderbilt Sophomore Guard Making Instant Impact Since Return from Major Injury
After last season’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Vanderbilt Commodores women’s basketball team is off to a hot start on the new year.
The team is 2-0 after two dominant wins against Lipscomb and Austin Peay. They are preparing to play the South Florida Bulls in their first road game of the season on Thursday.
As the season starts, one of the Commodores players is having a strong start. She is coming back from a lengthy injury that had her miss most of the 2023-24 season.
Guard Madison Greene missed most of last year due to an ACL injury. She was forced to watch from courtside as her program made their first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2013-14 season.
She only appeared in two games last season, averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds across 29 minutes per game. Even in the small amount of playing time during her freshman season, it was clear she was going to be a huge part of the success of the program.
Greene returned to the court in the season opener against Lipscomb, the same game the season prior she was injured in last December. She stepped up big time for the Commodores and picked up 14 points and six steals in the contest.
“I’m really impressed. She keeps getting more comfortable. I think I said this last time, I don't think the common athlete or person understands how hard that is to do, you know, not playing for so long and and then practicing but not playing games,” said Vanderbilt’s head coach Shea Ralph. “Playing games is another level of rehab, and she just hit the ground running. Hopefully, people can see why we missed her so much last year.”
Greene also shined in the second game of the season, scoring 13 points, four rebounds, and two steals in the team’s 93-37 victory over Austin Peay. Her presence off the bench has really helped the team, and giving coach Ralph the option to go to her when needed is crucial, especially so early in the season.
The sophomore will look to build upon her comeback season and help the Dores improve to 3-0 on the season when they face the Bulls in their first true test of the season. A solid all-around win from the Commodores could finally move them up into the AP Top 25 next week. Tipoff on Thursday is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
