Gonzaga’s Bree Salenbien still recovering from knee injury

Bree Salenbien is taking life one day at a time, and so are the Gonzaga women.

They don’t have much of a choice.

As GU opened its first full week of preseason practice, it’s unclear how many more days Salenbien will need to wait.

For the record, it’s been 211 days since Salenbien suffered a season-ending knee injury as the Zags prepared for the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.

The first five-star recruit in program history, Salenbien has spent the past six months rehabbing and hoping.

“I’m working really hard,” Salenbien said Monday as GU began the first full week of practice.

Like her teammates, Salenbien warmed up on the floor. But as the other 11 players walked to center court, the second-year player from Michigan remained on the sideline.

“She’s still not back to contact,” GU coach Lisa Fortier said. … “She’s strong and healthy as far as progress goes, and the basketball piece feels good to her, but she just can’t do the contact, the hard cutting.”

Fortier said she can’t predict when Salenbien participates fully in practice, much less play in a game.

“It’s too early to tell what they doctors will say,” Fortier said.

Salenbien is only 19, but she’s been through this before. Two years again, during the Michigan high school playoffs, she tore an ACL in her right leg.

“It’s hard going through it a second time, but I know how to deal with it,” Salenbien said.

Salenbien is no longer wearing a brace, just a sleeve.

The injury capped an up-and-down year for the 6-foot-2 Salenbien, who was projected to play wing or point guard for the Zags.

Salenbien played in 29 of the Zags’ 30 games last season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. She had a career-high 14 points against Pacific on Jan. 14, earning West Coast Conference Freshman of the Week honors.

Salenbien wore a brace during her senior year of high school, but not at GU.

Salenbien was ranked the No. 44 prospect in the country according to ESPN. During her junior year at Lenawee Christian, she averaged 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.3 blocks and 3.0 steals.

At GU, Salenbien’s playing time declined last year as she struggled with shooting (28% from the field) and turnovers.

“I think I was trying to get my confidence back (before the injury),” Salenbien said. “This year I’m hoping to grow in confidence – I’m excited.”