EVANSVILLE, Ind. - After missing 21 games last season, senior guard Brooke Bishop's return to the court is a welcome sight and follows a long journey to reach this point. 

Brooke's journey began on December 10, 2017. Playing in a game inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse, Bishop suffered a concussion in the game.  In the weeks following the injury, she began to feel symptoms that told her something more may be going on.  One of the most serious of those was that the vision in her right eye was not the way it was prior to the injury.  After visiting a neurologist and performing several tests, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in late January of 2018.

Despite the discouraging news, Bishop knew she had to move forward.  She revealed the news to her coaches and team and their support motivated her to do whatever she could to continue her basketball career.  At first, Bishop did not know if she would ever take to the floor again. In late February, Bishop was able to return to practice on a limited basis as the team approached the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Although practicing represented a big step forward in Bishop's recovery, but as the season waned, she decided to redshirt and pursue returning for one final season in 2018-19.

"Brooke is an amazing person who has shown great toughness in her battle with MS," said Aces' women's basketball head coach Matt Ruffing. "She exemplifies exactly what it means to be a student-athlete and hopes that her fight inspires others who are faced with similar circumstances.  We support her 100% and are excited to welcome her back to the lineup this season."

Following that decision, Bishop's remarkable comeback began to play out. Through offseason workouts, Bishop began to realize that she still had the ability to play at a high level. With the Purple Aces' season approaching, Bishop is excited to make her return to the court. Despite continuing to battle symptoms of the disease, Bishop is on track to return to the Aces' lineup when the season begins on October 28. 
 

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