Nicole Humphrey’s Year Without Lacrosse
After the 2023 season, Nicole Humphrey decided to transfer from the University of North Carolina to the University of Southern California.
The decision was all about personal growth.
“I just felt like I had accomplished so much in my time at UNC, and I was ready for something new. And as long as I can remember, LA had always been someplace that I had wanted to go,” Nicole said.
With that, she headed out west, full of excitement for what was to come. She did not know it at the time, but it would end up being a year unlike any other.
At her very first USC practice, Nicole suffered an injury – the first of her career.
During a team scrimmage, she made a cut. Unlike the thousands she made before, this one felt different. Nicole did not fall to the ground, but her left foot was in pain.
“It was nothing traumatic. I literally walked off the field and went over to the trainer,” she said.
With multiple pain points, she then visited a doctor, who informed her that she had a sprained Lisfranc ligament. This diagnosis left the former Tar Heel in a boot for about two months.
Lisfranc (midfoot) injuries result if bones in the midfoot are broken or ligaments that support the midfoot are torn.
OrthoInfo
It was not an ideal start in Hollywood for Nicole.
“Being injured as a fifth-year transfer is something I don’t wish on my worst enemy,” she said.
Luckily for her, the injury happened well before the season. She never doubted a return to the field.
While sidelined, her new teammates were very supportive, and she stayed engaged by helping run drills at practice. However, the missed practices began to add up, which took a toll on Nicole.
She was losing valuable time.
“I was really anxious to get back because it was my last fall ball, so we started progressing me, but it was not getting any better.”
With no improvements, Nicole returned to the doctor multiple times. Three different MRI’s revealed the same thing: the Lisfranc ligament in her left foot looked like it was fine. This left Nicole and doctors confused.
“Every time I played, I would tweak it a little bit more,” she said. “They were just telling me that was going to happen and that I would be really sore.”
Right before USC’s 2023 Thanksgiving break – in what she thinks was only the fourth practice she participated in – the injury worsened.
The Connecticut native then flew to New York City to visit the Hospital for Special Surgery, where an X-ray revealed that her Lisfranc ligament was no longer intact. The doctor told Nicole that she could try playing through the injury, but if she did, she would probably completely tear the ligament.
“It was definitely really tough news to receive at that point just because I didn’t really expect it at all,” she said.
Nicole then underwent surgery at the end of November. It meant that she would miss the entire 2024 season.
For the next few months, Nicole was on crutches. And for the first six of those weeks, she was unable to put any weight on her foot.
This was a very difficult time for Nicole, which led to a hard decision.
“I ultimately had to step away from the team because it was just too much mentally being there and never being able to practice or play,” Nicole said.
And just like that, Nicole was not surrounded by a team for the first team in many years. However, she knew the decision was best for her.
“It just got to a point where my mental state was way more important than any lacrosse entity, and my family was totally supportive of that,” she said.
Unable to play in 2024, Nicole watched more lacrosse than ever before.
“I literally would just watch all day long to the point where my USC teammates were like, ‘You watch a lot of lacrosse,’” she said with a laugh.
That included watching Ashley, her sister, who transferred to UNC before the season started. She was the only one of the three Humphrey sisters to lace up the cleats. Their youngest sister, Chloe, also missed the season due to an injury.
It was not a given that Nicole would play lacrosse again after missing the 2024 season. After all, it was her fifth year in college, and she could easily have decided to enter the workforce.
Initially unsure about what she wanted to do, Nicole found inspiration for one more go. That inspiration came from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play lacrosse with her sisters for the first time.
“I think if my two sisters weren’t still in the game, I would have just hung up the cleats,” she said.
For the sisters to all be on the same team, Nicole needed to return to Chapel Hill.
Once she entered the portal, Jenny Levy and the coaches welcomed her back with open arms, setting the stage for what should be a memorable 2025 season. To say that Nicole is excited might be an understatement.
“My sisters and I never thought that we’d ever be able to all play together. We’ve literally never played with each other besides in the backyard. This will be the first team we’ve ever been on the same field together, which is just so insane.”
Nicole is now back in Chapel Hill, where her college career began. However, she is a different person than when she left. She knows herself better, especially who she is without lacrosse in her life.
The time away from the game has also led to a stronger work ethic.
“This is the hardest I’ve ever worked… I’m just so excited to get back out there,” she said.
Nicole is still in some pain, which doctors said could last up to a year and a half, but she is nearing a return. She started running again in July, and she feels good.
It has been a whirlwind of a journey for Nicole over the past year. Through all the highs and lows, she is grateful to be where she is today because of it all.
“This past year was definitely the most formative year that I’ve had.”