When Kendall Currence transferred to Temple last year, the expectation was for her and fellow guard Aleah Nelson to team up and lead the Owls’ backcourt. Even head coach Diane Richardson said as much, mentioning her vision for the program centered around the duo.
However, Richardson’s vision never saw the light of day after Currence tore her ACL before the start of last season. Her absence was magnified by the fact that four players left the team during the year and the squad finished the season with just eight active players.
Currence is ready to make her Temple debut one year later and help lead the offense alongside Nelson.
“You definitely need to be mentally tough, and I really learned patience on this journey,” Currence said. “I think that is so important because every day it was three workouts a day. I had to be patient making sure I was working hard making sure I was doing all the right things.”
Currence played four years at Falmouth Academy in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and became the ninth-ranked scorer in the state, finishing her career with 2,310 points. She also became a national champion with her AAU team, MCW Starz Elite.
Northeastern offered Currence a spot in its program, and she embarked on her undergraduate career in 2018. She started by coming off the bench, showing flashes of scoring ability in her limited role.
Currence’s junior year was her breakout season as she was top 15 in the Coastal Athletic Association in both field goal and three-point percentage. She stepped it up a notch during her senior year, earning all-CAA first team.
“She’s a great player and she’s a great scorer,” said Nelson, who previously played for Towson, Currence’s CAA rival. “She’s coming back from injury, but she’s still that same player. We literally see she has the same moves, but might be a little bit slower, but you know constantly talking to her has built our bond.”
With her last year of eligibility, Currence decided to take her talents to North Broad Street and join Richardson’s budding squad.
However, she tore her ACL at practice just four days before the Owls’ season opener and missed the entirety of the season, The Temple News first reported. That began Currence’s year-long road back to the hardwood, which the guard admitted was not easy.
“She’s a competitor,” said guard Tiarra East. “She’s going to do whatever it takes to come back to get that. She’s been putting in the work, every rep we hear her, she’s always communicating, it’s like she never left.”
Despite her lows, Currence fought hard to get back with her team. Now, she is expected to be an important part of the program.
Richardson has been optimistic about Currence’s recovery but wants to ensure she eases Currence into the lineup, she said.
“[Currence] has been doing well in practice,” Richardson said. “Coming back from her injury, she probably progressed faster than most do, and she wants to play.”
This season, it’s not lost on Richardson that her original vision of pairing Nelson and Currence in the backcourt can finally come to fruition.
Pairing the two guards together should give the Owls a much-needed boost. The Owls were toward the middle of the AAC in scoring offense last season but could not play Richardson’s brand of fast-paced basketball because the roster was too thin.
Currence and Nelson have known each other since they were teenagers, playing on the same AAU circuit growing up. Richardson plans for their play styles to complement each other, creating a reliable scoring unit for the Owls when grouped with East, Demi Washington and Tristen Taylor.
“You’ll see a different Temple team this year,” Richardson said. “It’s one that we wanted last year, where we would play at pace, fast pace, up-tempo, you’ll see that we’ll put pressure on teams.”
Even if Currence’s injury prevents her from scoring with the same efficiency as years past, her impact will still be felt on the court. She can provide a scoring threat from all levels and make life easier for her teammates to score as well.
Currence learned a lot about herself while rehabbing from her injury. Though she fought through the pain, she feels the number of hurdles she had to endure shows her work ethic.
“It’s been a grind for sure,” Currence said. “I felt the need to get back on the court, especially practicing in our gym or when we play over at Liacouras, but my teammates have been really supportive throughout my journey.”
Be the first to comment