Opals star Bec Allen’s horror injury ordeal: surgery more than six weeks after brutal World Cup injury

Four days after she suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung, tough-as-nails Opal Bec Allen tried to play in the World Cup. Six weeks later, she had surgery. What went wrong?

Opals superstar Bec Allen required surgery to drain her lungs more than six weeks after she was crunched at the World Cup as Basketball Australia reviews its care of the champion player and her shocking injuries.

Allen revealed to News Corp she spent six days in hospital last month after experiencing ongoing complications from the “scary” injuries she suffered during the Opals’ World Cup clash with Serbia on September 25.

The 30-year-old, who was crushed between two players and left Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena in a wheelchair but somehow played four days later, was forced into surgery to insert a tube into her chest to drain air and blood from the punctured lung she suffered in the incident.

Tough-as-nails Allen was initially cleared by team medicos of any structural damage — and even took the court in the Opals’ semi-final win over China — but continued to suffer on her return to Melbourne after the tournament. Subsequent scans revealed a collapsed lung and two broken ribs.

“It was pretty painful but I’m doing better,” Allen told News Corp this month.

“I had two weeks after that (surgery) where I wasn’t doing anything and now I’ve started doing some exercise.

“It’s really just taking it as easy as possible — I’m wanting to get back to Spain but I’m also wanting to do it in a healthy way, because flying can be dangerous.”

The complications raise questions about the handling of the injury with a BA spokesperson confirming the incident was under review and a report would be confidentially shared with Allen once completed.

Bec Allen had surgery more than a month after suffering a serious injury during the FIBA World Cup.

Prominent sports medico Dr Peter Larkins said damage to ribs and lungs can be difficult to diagnose with traditional x-ray, but would be more likely to appear on a CT scan.

Allen would not be drawn on why it took so long for surgery, but she is still without a timeline for a return to the court as she works toward rejoining Spanish club Valencia, ahead of a seventh season with the WNBA’s New York Liberty.

“It was a bit scary and a bit sad with how it’s all unravelled, in a sense, because I mean it’s your career, injuries happen, but I wish that maybe the way things went after the injury could have been different for me,” Allen said.

“Maybe the recovery and maybe just having the drain done earlier. Get the fluid out.

“There’s so many what-ifs but hindsight’s a wonderful thing.

“It was one of the most-difficult moments of my career and life, in a sense, but it’s also made me step back and try to reflect a little bit more on where I want to be in the next few years.”

Australia's Bec Allen shoots during the Women's Basketball World Cup. Picture: AFP

The Wangaratta-born scoring machine has completed a masters in marketing at Deakin University — while playing year-round all over the world — and recently was welcomed behind the scenes at Melbourne United for an insight into its operation.

“I was talking to (NBL boss) Jeremy Loeliger about what I was wanting to do post-basketball and he put me in touch with (United chief executive) Nick Truelson and welcomed me in immediately and really wanted me to see the ins and outs and the direction that they’re headed in.

“For me I think it’s just a great experience that can help me figure out where I want to be after basketball.”

Allen is among a number of sportspeople to spend time in United’s inner sanctum learning new skills, with the likes of Collingwood 350-gamer Scott Pendlebury, Carlton coach Michael Voss and assistant Aaron Hamill, North Melbourne midfielder Hugh Greenwood and Serbian coach Jelena Todorovic.

Originally published as Opals star Bec Allen’s horror injury ordeal: surgery more than six weeks after brutal World Cup injury